Attracting Foreign Direct Investment

in Pakistan
The Role of Governance, National Security
and Global Investment Trends

Sakina Lavingia

An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to the Faculty

Department of Politics
Oberlin College

Faculty Advisor: Professor Eve Sandberg

April 11, 2016

2
 Abstract

Private sector investment has become one of the most essential sources of international

capital flows to developing countries. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as one type of

private sector investment has the potential to drive economic growth and development.

Understanding the factors that motivate or deter foreign investors from investing in a

developing country therefore is crucial. This thesis examines the particular case of

Pakistan and analyzes internal and external factors that have affected the inclines and

declines in inflows of FDI to the country between 2000 and 2014. By performing a

comparative sectoral analysis, this thesis examines the effects of government efficacy,

national security, and global levels of FDI inflows on FDI inflows on three distinct

sectors in Pakistan: Energy, Telecommunications, and Financial Services. The thesis

argues that a rapidly deteriorating domestic situation post-2008 due to weakened

governance and limited security provision within the country has increased the perceived

levels of risk and uncertainty associated with investing in Pakistan. This has resulted in a

sharp decline in FDI inflows to the country.

3
 Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Professor Eve Sandberg, for her guidance and support throughout
this process, and for all that she has taught me during my time at Oberlin as a researcher
and writer.

I am truly grateful to Professor Kristina Mani and Professor Bijetri Bose for agreeing to
serve as my second and third readers, and to Professor Chris Howell for leading our
Honors Seminar. Their advice and directive has been incredibly valuable throughout this
year.

I am so lucky to have had an amazing group of peers in the Honors seminar this year.
Without them, this process would most definitely not have been as fulfilling.

I would like to express my gratitude to Joel Whitaker, Majid Munir, Taimour Noorani,
Shaista Khilji, Fawzia Naqvi, Chris Canavan and Pratima Singh for taking out the time to
share their thoughts and suggestions with regards to my thesis. Their opinions have added
a unique perspective that I would have been unable to access elsewhere.

I would like to thank Oberlin for the four years I have spent here, learning, questioning,
and growing. I am so grateful to have found a home away from home, filled with people
that I love and respect.

Last, I would like to thank my parents, without whom I would not be where I am today. I
am so blessed to have their love, support and prayers guide me through my everyday.

4
5
 Table of Contents

List of Graphs ................................................................................. 8

List of Abbreviations ...................................................................... 9

Chapter One
Introduction ................................................................................... 12

Chapter Two
Advancing the Global Partnership ................................................ 23

Chapter Three
Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries .................... 33

Chapter Four
Power and Energy ......................................................................... 50

Chapter Five
Telecommunications ..................................................................... 64

Chapter Six
Financial Services ......................................................................... 77

Chapter Seven
Conclusion .................................................................................... 89

References ..................................................................................... 94

6
7
 List of Graphs
Figure 1a FDI Inflows across continents, 2000 – 2014
Figure 1b FDI Inflows across Asia, 2000 – 2014
Figure 2 Net Inflows of Foreign direct Investment as a % of
GDP, 1970 – 2013
Figure 3 Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to
Pakistan, 2001 – 2013
Figure 4 Differences in Inflows of FDI to Pakistan Across
Sectors between 2000 and 2015
Figure 5 Correlation between Government Efficacy and FDI
Inflows to Pakistan’s Energy Sector
Figure 6 Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to
Pakistan’s Energy Sector
Figure 7 Correlation between Global Inflows of FDI and FDI
Inflows to Pakistan’s Energy Sector
Figure 8 Teledensity in Pakistan 2002 – 2014
Figure 9 Correlation between Government Effectiveness and
FDI Inflows to Pakistan’s Telecommunication Sector
Figure 10 Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to
Pakistan’s Telecommunication Sector
Figure 11 Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to
Pakistan’s Telecommunication Sector
Figure 12 Correlation between Government Effectiveness of FDI
and FDI Inflows to Pakistan’s Financial Services Sector
Figure 13 Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to
Pakistan’s Financial Services Sector
Figure 14a Correlation between Global Inflows of FDI and FDI
Inflows to Pakistan
Figure 14b Correlation between Global Inflows of FDI and FDI
Inflows to Pakistan’s Financial Services Sector

8
 List of Abbreviations
BOI Board of Investment
CPEC China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GoP Government of Pakistan
IMF International Monetary Fund
IPP Independent Power Producers
KESC Karachi Electric Supply Culture
KP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
MDG Millennium Development Goals
NEPRA National Electric Power Regulatory Authority
PAEC Pakistan Atomic Agency Commission
PML-N Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)
PML-Q Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam Group)
PPIB Private Power and Infrastructure Board
PPP Pakistan Peoples Party
PTA Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
PTC Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation
SAP Structural Adjustment Program
SBP State Bank of Pakistan
TPP Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
WAPDA Water and Power Development Authority

9
10
11
 Chapter One
Introduction

The field of international development has evolved significantly since World War

II, when it first emerged as a formal area of study. Priorities within the international

development agenda have shifted from stimulating economic growth to identifying ways

of enhancing standards of living. The United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda is

a culmination of the shifts that have occurred over the last seven decades, and relies upon

the ability of a diverse range of actors and stakeholders to participate in what has been

termed, a “global partnership.”1 As it becomes critical to look beyond aid and integrate

all forms of international initiatives capable of affecting development results, the role of

the private sector is particularly important.2 James Michel, Senior Advisor at the Center

for Strategic International Studies argues that, “to the extent that private investment

creates jobs and helps lift people out of poverty and into the formal economy, there can

be a virtuous cycle of growing markets, increased investment, and expanded wellbeing.”3

Over the last decade private sector investment has become one of the most

important sources of international capital flows to developing countries. 4 A critical

component of private sector financing, the growth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

1
Michel, James. 2016. Beyond Aid: The Integration of Sustainable Development in a Coherent International Agenda.
Center for Strategic and International Studies. P. iv, 1. Accessed February 2016.
http://csis.org/files/publication/160111_Michel_BeyondAid_Web.pdf
2
Ibid, p. iv
3
Ibid, p. vii
4
Ibid, p. 31

12
inflows to developing countries provides evidence of the private sector’s increased

capacity to contribute to the development agenda. The Organization for Economic Co-

operation and Development defines Foreign Direct Investment as:

“a category of cross-border investment in which an investor resident in

one economy establishes a lasting interest in and a significant degree of
influence over an enterprise resident in another economy.”5

Ownership of 10% or more of the voting power in an enterprise in one economy by an

investor in another economy is evidence of such a relationship.

Unlike international aid, higher levels of FDI suggest greater investor confidence

in the economic strength of a country, as well as in the capacity of investments to accrue

competitive rates of return while accounting for risk and uncertainty. Governments of

developing countries have come to rely on FDI as a critical source of external finance due

to its ability to assist in human capital formation and create a pool of resources that

allows for socio-economic advancement. Combined with sound macroeconomic policies,

and greater openness to trade, FDI can provide developing countries with increased

access to capital, technology transfers, and market competition, thereby contributing to

and driving levels of economic growth.

Given that foreign direct investment has the potential to promote a country’s

economic growth, it is critical for us to understand the factors that motivate or deter

foreign investors from investing in a given developing country. This thesis explores the

particular case of Pakistan, and analyzes internal and external factors affecting FDI

inflows to the country between 2000 and 2014. The time period chosen in this study

encapsulates the sharpest incline and decline of FDI inflows within Pakistan.

5
OECD Data: Foreign Direct Investment. Accessed January 2015. https://data.oecd.org/fdi/fdi-flows.htm

13
 Like its regional and economic counterparts, Pakistan experienced a substantial

increase in FDI inflows between 2000 and 2007. This trend suddenly ceased and then

reversed following the global financial crash of 2008, when most regional developing

countries experienced sharp declines in inflows of FDI. However, while nearly all of

Pakistan’s regional and economic counterparts were able to recover—or at least

stabilize—rates of growth in FDI by 2009, FDI inflows to Pakistan dropped consistently

until 2013, the first year that a modest rate of growth was recorded since 2007.

This dynamic presents an interesting puzzle, making Pakistan an exceptional and

important case to study. Pakistani economists such as Muhammad Arshad Khan and

Nayyra Zeb have attributed lower levels of FDI inflows to Pakistan on limited political

stability, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, and poor levels of security.6 Investment

banks such as Santander’s and KMPG have echoed these concerns alongside issues that

include arbitrary administration of laws and regulations and non-respect of intellectual

property rights.7 Each of the factors is reflective of the Pakistani government’s limited

capacity to offer an attractive investment climate to foreign investors.

To understand and explain the Pakistani experience, this study analyzes the

effects of internal and external shifts that have influenced Pakistan’s capacity to attract

inflows of FDI. In particular, this paper examines the effects of government efficacy,

national security, and global investment trends, on domestic FDI inflows to Pakistan

between 2000 and 2014. Government effectiveness, as measured by the World

6
Arshad Khan, Muhammad and Ali Khan, Shujaat. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Pakistan: A
Sectoral Analysis. Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. 2011. Accessed October 2015.
http://pide.org.pk/pdr/index.php/wp/article/viewFile/2968/2917
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Pakistan: A Sectoral Analysis; Zeb, Nayyra et al. Role of Foreign
Direct Investment in Economic Growth of Pakistan. International Journal of Economics and Finance 6, no. 1 (2014): 32
– 38.
7
Santander Trade Portal. Pakistan: Foreign Investment. Accessed September 2015.
https://en.santandertrade.com/establish-overseas/pakistan/investing

14
Governance Indicators, captures the quality of civil service institutions, policy

formulation and policy implementation.8 National security, as measured by the Global

Terrorism Index, encapsulates the frequency of intentional acts of violence or threats of

violence by non-state actors.9 Global investment trends, as calculated by the United

Nation’s Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report,

represents the total amount of global FDI inflows in any given year. Each of these factors

reflects the extent to which Pakistan has been able to provide an investment climate that

is attractive foreign investors.

This paper argues that the instatement of a fragile democratic government and

rapidly deteriorating domestic security situation increased the perceived levels of risk and

uncertainty associated with the investment climate in Pakistan. The implications of

worsening internal conditions in Pakistan on investment returns were more thoroughly

considered by foreign investors at this time due to the weakened international financial

climate that had reduced total global investment levels. The simultaneous deterioration in

internal and external conditions rendered Pakistan as a riskier investment destination,

resulting in a decline in FDI inflows that was sharper and protracted.

Recognizing that the effects of a decline in FDI was not felt equally across the

Pakistani economy, this paper undertakes a comparative sectoral analysis of FDI inflows

within Pakistan, analyzing the ways in which government effectiveness, security, and

global investment levels have affected Pakistan’s FDI inflows nationally and across

sectors. The sectors analyzed in this study are Energy, Telecommunications, and

8
World Governance Indicators 2015. Accessed December 2016.
http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/index.aspx#doc
9
Global Terrorism Index. 2015. Accessed January 2016. http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf  

15
 Financial Services. By examining the effects of the three selected explanatory variables

on each of the three sectors, this paper discusses the conditions limiting the provision of

an environment that promotes the inflow of FDI to Pakistan. Analyzing differences in the

relationships between each of the aforementioned independent variables and inflows of

FDI across sectors, this paper concludes by discussing ways the Pakistani government

can then intervene on a national and sectoral level to create an environment that is

conducive to foreign investment.

1.1 Changing Trends in Foreign Direct Investment: Emerging Markets

and Pakistan
FDI inflows to developing economies have been growing significantly since the early

2000s. Faltering briefly in 2009, FDI inflows to developing economies increased to US$

681.4 billion in 2014, representing a share of 54% of global FDI inflows.10 This growth

emerges at a time when FDI inflows to the developed world have been declining,

highlighting a recognition of growth opportunities existent within the developing world.

Figure 1a: FDI Inflows Across Continents, 2000 – Figure 1b: FDI Inflows across Asia, 2000 – 2014
2014 Source: UNCTAD World Investment Report 2015,
Source: UNCTAD World Investment Report 2015, Data Compiled by Author
Data Compiled by Author

10
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. World Investment Report 2015. Accessed January 2016.
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/wir2015_en.pdf

16
 As observed in Figure 1a, Asia has received increasing attention as a lucrative

destination for FDI inflows within the developing world. Since the early 1990’s, several

Asian emerging market economies have worked towards reforming and liberalizing their

trade regimes, opening their markets to foreign investment. However, the impact of trade

liberalization on FDI inflows within Asian economies has varied across countries. Figure

1b indicates that FDI inflows to East Asia have remained the highest between 2000 and

2014, followed by South East Asia. Inflows of FDI to West Asia have been in decline

since 2008. FDI inflows to South Asia increased steadily until 2008, after which they

have been unable to record significant rates of growth. However, the slight upward trend

in FDI inflows to South Asia observed in 2013 hints at the possibility of growing foreign

investor interest in the region.

Asian economies listed on the MSCI Emerging Market Index in 2002 maintained

fairly similar rates of growth in FDI inflows until the global financial crash of 2008. 11

Following the crash, emerging markets listed on the MSCI Emerging Market Index

experienced a sharp decline in FDI inflows. All but Pakistan, however, were able to

recover growth in FDI inflows within the next three years. The inability of Pakistan’s

economy to perform at a rate similar to other Asian emerging markets within the

international economy resulted in its demotion from Emerging Market status to Frontier

Market status in 2012. Pakistan was the only Emerging Asian Market to be demoted in

the 2012 rankings. Given that all emerging Asian economies barring Pakistan were able

to recover from the external shock of the financial crash in 2008 suggests that external

11
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is an index created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) designed to
measure equity market performance in global emerging markets.
Emerging markets refer to developing countries that are experiencing rapid growth and industrialization. Frontier
markets refer to nations that are at an earlier stage of economic development as compared to emerging markets.
Asian Emerging Markets in 2002 were China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand
and Taiwan. Sri Lanka was demoted to a frontier market in the index’s 2007 ranking.

17
limitations were not the sole reason for Pakistan’s inability to regain growth in FDI

inflows. Rather, internal changes specific to Pakistan were preventing a full recovery in

growth rates of FDI inflows to the country. Examining trends in FDI inflows across three

sectors—energy, telecommunications and financial services—this paper argues that

security and governance deficits have rendered Pakistan a risky investment destination,

and dampened the nation’s capacity to attract and maintain foreign direct investment at

levels comparable to other emerging Asian economies.

1.2 Methodology: A Sector Analysis Approach

While FDI has played a critical role in the development of the Pakistani economy

over the last fifteen years, its effects have been varied across sectors. By applying a

comparative sector analysis approach, this paper analyzes disaggregated units of the

Pakistani economy, and examines the relationship between sectoral FDI inflows and three

explanatory variables: government efficacy, security and global investment levels.

Understanding the On Inflows of Foreign

effects of three Direct Investment to
independent variables three sectors in Pakistan

1. Govt. Effectiveness 1. Energy

2. National Security 2. Telecommunications
3. Global Investment 3. Financial Services

18
 The sectors analyzed in this study are energy, telecommunications, and financial

services. The motivation behind choosing these sectors was threefold: First, the three

sectors have on average been the largest recipients of FDI since 2000. Second, the three

sectors represent important components of infrastructure development, and the services

industry. By installing infrastructure for communications and energy, the

Telecommunications and Energy sectors are developing resources that can promote

investment in other areas of the economy such as manufacturing. The provision of such

infrastructure is crucial to long-term capital gain and economic development within

Pakistan. Financial Services plays an important role as a conduit of foreign direct

investment. A well-developed financial services sector encourages higher levels of

foreign investor confidence in the country. Third, public ownership of companies within

each of the three sectors is drastically different: telecommunications is almost entirely

privately owned, while energy is mostly owned or managed by the government. Financial

services falls in the middle of the spectrum in terms of public ownership and government

involvement. Performing a comparative sectoral analysis of three sectors that vary in

terms of industry type and extent of government involvement, this study provides a

unique perspective on the ways in which the effects of security, government efficacy and

global FDI inflows vary across sectors within Pakistan.

This study utilizes a variety of quantitative and qualitative data sources to analyze

the effects of each of the independent variables on FDI inflows within Pakistan. For each

of the three sectors, this paper measures the effects of government effectiveness, security,

and global inflows of FDI on national and sectoral inflows of FDI between 2000 and

19
2014. However, the paper is unable to analyze the effects of the independent variables on

FDI between 2000 and 2002 due to unavailability of data.

Data sources used in this study are: 1) Global Terrorism Index 12 to measure

security, 2) World Governance Indicators13 to measure government effectiveness and

political stability, 3) UNCTAD’s World Investment Reports14 for data on global and

national inflows of FDI between 2000 and 2014, and 4) Pakistan’s Board of Investment15

for data on inflows of FDI by sector between 2000 and 2014.

Name of Variable Measurement

Methodology of Measurement
Ranking Measured Scale
There are four factors counted in each
country’s yearly score:
1. Total number of terrorist incidents 0 to 10, with higher
Global 2. Total number of fatalities caused by values
Terrorism Security terrorism corresponding to
Index 3. Total number of injuries caused by lower security
terrorism provision
4. Approximate level of total property
damage from terrorist attacks
Captures perceptions of the quality of
public services, the quality of the civil
–2.5 to 2.5, with
World service and the degree of its independence
Government higher values
Governance from political pressures, the quality of
Effectiveness corresponding to
Indicators policy formulation and implementation,
better governance
and the credibility of the government's
commitment to such policies.
Higher numbers
World Global
correspond with
Investment Investment Total inflows of FDI to all countries.
higher levels of
Reports Levels
global FDI inflows

12
Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the GTI is based on data from the Global Terrorism Database
(GTD), which is collected and collated by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to
Terrorism. Source: http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf
13
The World Governance Indicators report aggregate and individual governance indicators for 215 economies across
six dimensions of governance: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government
Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption. These indicators combine the views of a
large number of enterprise, citizen and expert survey respondents, and are based on over 30 individual data sources
produced by a variety of survey institutes, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, international organizations,
and private sector firms.
Source: http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/index.aspx#home
14
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. World Investment Report 2015
15
Pakistan Board of Investment. http://boi.gov.pk/foreigninvestmentinpakistan.aspx; Asian Development Bank, Private
Sector Assessment: Pakistan. Page 9. Accessed January 2016. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-
document/32216/private-sector-assessment.pdf

20
 Country reports, market analyses, and investment risk reports published by

international organizations, multi-national corporations, and Pakistani corporations were

also utilized in this study. These include reports by the Economist Intelligence Unit,

Standard and Poor’s, International Finance Corporation, Arif Habib Bank, KPMG, and

the World Bank. Qualitative information specific to each sector was primarily accessed

from annual reports published by national regulatory authorities: National Electric Power

Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for

Telecommunications, and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for Financial Services.

Interviews with researchers and practitioners working within the field of development

economics, or each of the individual sectors, were also conducted. These interviews

provided first-hand opinions of investors and development economists who are assessing

the risks and benefits deterring or encouraging the decision to invest in Pakistan.

1.3 Structure of the Paper:

The chapters of this paper are as follows: Chapter Two discusses the role of the

private sector in promoting economic growth within developing countries. The Chapter

provides a brief overview of the evolution of development models from the 1950’s till

present day, and discusses the growing importance of the private sector and foreign direct

investment within the global development agenda. Chapter Three argues the importance

of Pakistan as an important case in the study of FDI inflows to developing countries. The

chapter begins by presenting an historical analysis of FDI inflows to Pakistan since the

1970s, when the country began to move away from a policy of nationalization towards

liberalizing the economy, opening it up to international markets. Next, it discusses

21
present day opportunities available to investors within the country, followed by an

overview of governance and security conditions within the country that have influenced

domestic conditions and increased the level of risk associated with investing in Pakistan

since 2000 until 2014. The chapter concludes with a comparative discussion of FDI

inflows across Energy, Telecommunications, and Financial Services. Chapter Four, Five,

and Six analyze the effects of government effectiveness, national security, and global

trends in FDI in Energy, Telecommunications, and Financial Services respectively. The

chapters offer a comparative sectoral analysis of the internal and external factors

affecting FDI within Pakistan, and the ways in which the factors differently affect each of

the sectors before and after the financial crash of 2008. Chapter Seven discusses steps the

Pakistani government can take in order to provide a more stable investment climate

within the country, and offers a conclusion for the thesis.

22
 Chapter Two
Advancing the Global Partnership
Importance of Private Sector Involvement in Economic Development

Since the introduction of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000,

there has been a steady push towards the diversification of development financing. James

Michel argues that the role of aid as the primary source of funding is quickly changing in

many developing countries as alternative sources and strategies for financing become

more prominent and popular. 16 In 2015, the Investment to End Poverty Report by

Development Initiatives presented a breakdown of financial flows to developing

countries. Approximately USD 163 billion was disbursed in Official Development Aid

(ODA), while international investment flows stood at USD 1.88 trillion in 2013.17 Private

domestic and international investment flows in low and middle income countries have

more than tripled over the last decade, accounting for over half of the financial resources

available in 2015.18 As the influence of traditional development assistance gives way to

an increasing diversity of actors, financers, and implementation approaches, it is

becoming crucial to create a “global partnership” that integrates and streamlines

international cooperation in a way that can positively affect development results.19

16
Michel, James. P. 26.
17
In the same year, commercial domestic spending was USD 2.2 trillion. Michel, James. P. viii.
18
European Commission. A Stronger Role of the Private Sector in Achieving Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in
Developing Countries. Brussels, 2014. Page 11.
19
Michel, James. P. 26

23
 This chapter studies the role and influence of one actor—the private sector—

within the emerging global partnership. Given the private sector’s growing involvement

in the developing world, and its capacity to finance infrastructure development by

expanding capital stock, it is important to understand the role it has played historically

and continues to play currently within the international development agenda. This chapter

begins by presenting a brief history of the evolution of the field of development, followed

by an examination of the present-day, post-2015 development agenda. It discusses the

role of the private sector within the present day agenda, and concludes by discussing the

influence of foreign direct investment as a driver of economic growth.

2.1 A Brief Overview of Development Models: Post WW2 – Present

Initial models of development emerging at the end of World War II focused

almost entirely on economic growth and advocated for massive injections of capital as

the means of achieving rapid increases in gross domestic product (GDP). According to

Syed Nawab Haider Naqvi, a noted Pakistani economist, the 1950’s – 1980’s marked the

stage of Traditionalist Development. 20 This model emphasized the importance of,

“achieving high rates of economic and human development in the post-colonial periods,

with a view to reducing poverty and achieving convergence with the developed

countries.”21 Agriculture was regarded as the leading sector in the process of growth

creation. It was argued that gains within the agricultural sector would result in a

“structural transformation” of labor allocation away from agriculture and towards

20
Naqvi, Syed Nawab Haider. 2010. The Evolution of Development Policy: A Reinterpretation. Karachi; New York:
Oxford University Press. Page 6.
21
Ibid, p. 43

24
manufacturing and services.22 Mechanisms instituted for achieving this process included

increasing the share of manufacturing activities within the economy along with

implementing extensive land reforms.23

By the end of the 1970’s and early 1980’s the Traditionalist model gave away to

the emerging Liberalist paradigm. Liberalists argued that high growth rates observed in

the post-colonial and post-WW2 era were artificially stimulated through extensive and

unsustainable government intervention.24 Liberalist theorists—otherwise also called New

Growth theorists—such as Paul Romer and Robert Lucas shifted the focus of the

development agenda away from labor and capital restructuring. Instead, free market

policies, that aggressively attempted to minimize the role of the government within the

development process were prioritized. These policies were contained in the Washington

Consensus: a set of ten strategies that the United States government and international

financial institutions believed were necessary elements of “first stage policy reform,” that

developing countries needed to adopt in order to increase economic growth.25 Liberalists

rapidly introduced and implemented initiatives such as Structural Adjustment Programs

(SAPs) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. SAPs radically

altered the government-led development framework that had been established within the

Traditionalist model by restructuring developing economies to become more market

oriented. The Programs included policies requiring internal changes such as privatization

and deregulation, and external changes such as the reduction of trade barriers. In many

ways, the emergence of the Liberalist paradigm represented the beginning of the formal

22
Dang, Giang, Low Sui Pheng, and Ohio Library and Information Network. 2014; 2015. Infrastructure Investments in
Developing Economies: The Case of Vietnam. Singapore; 4: Springer. Page 16.
23
Naqvi, Syed Nawab Haider. The Evolution of Development Policy: A Reinterpretation P. 6
24
Ibid, P. 7
25
Glossary. World Health Organization. Accessed April 2016. http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story094/en/

25
involvement of the private sector as an independent and influential actor within the field

of international development.

The Liberalist paradigm received extensive criticism from development

economists that argued against the framework’s inattention to the importance of good

governance and institutional structures, and questioned the model’s reliance on

international aid transfers as the primary source of funding. 26 Critics claimed that free

market approaches would encourage the dependency of developing countries on

developed markets, multilateral institutions, and exploitative corporations. Maia Green

argues that the pursuit of liberalist policies would result in the emergence of a

“Development State.”27 The development state, she writes, are states that are, “materially

and ideologically sustained through development relations. Such states are largely

dependent on aid transfers to meet recurrent budgets.”28 The development state is fiscally

dependent on international development financing and on the institutions that disburse

this financing. By extension, the development state is required to follow the strategies

employed by international finance agencies, resulting in their inability to develop

independently and strengthen domestic institutions or the economy.

A growing acceptance of the limitations of Liberalist development ideology

reintroduced the need to prioritize more than just the expansion of the free-market,

resulting in the emergence of the Human Development Model in the mid-1990s. The

model directed attention away from prioritizing market friendly approaches towards

identifying ways to improve standards of living in developing countries. While the

26
Dang and Pheng, P. 19
27
Green, Maia. 2014. The development state: aid, culture & civil society in Tanzania. Woodbridge, Suffolk. Page 15.
Maia Green is a Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester
28
Ibid.

26
market—and by extension the private sector—was still important, the Human

Development Model did not consider it to be the sole or primary route through which

development could be pursued. David Booth presents the argument that weak or

dysfunctional political systems present barriers to the construction of more

29
developmental leadership. A stable government allows for the integration of

multifaceted aspects of development in a way that allows for sustainable transformation,

implementable policy, and concrete results. The Human Development Model

reintroduced the value of good governance as a necessary ingredient for sustainable

development, alongside the development of the private sector. The model in many ways,

serves as an initial introduction to what has since been termed the global partnership.

The Human Development Model forms the basis of the present day development

agenda. The next section of this chapter discusses the design of the Millennium

Development Goals introduced in the early 2000’s, and the subsequent construction of

the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Millennium Development Goals and the Post-

2015 Development Agenda encapsulate and expand ideas presented in the Human

Development Model, identifying ways to integrate a variety of actors and stakeholders

into the development process.

2.2: Development Today: Advancing the Role of the Private Sector

From 2000 until 2015, the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs) served as the primary development model. The MDGs focus on core issue areas

such as poverty alleviation, gender equality, education, health, sustainability, and female

29
Booth, David. 2011. Can aid become more relevant to ‘getting things done’? World Bank. Accessed February 2016.
http://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/can-aid-become-more-relevant-to-getting-things-done

27
equality. While Traditionalist and Liberalist theorists differed on the basis of whether

government or markets should be the primary actor guiding the development process, the

MDGs advocated for synthesizing of the two positions, focusing instead on the creation

of a global partnership. This partnership would incorporate a diverse range of actors and

stakeholders including governments, multilateral organizations, and private institutions in

the development process. Such a strategy emerged from a recognition of the challenges

associated with achieving any of the listed MDGs. The consensus was that a partnership

was necessary in order to successfully meet the targets set out in the MDGs. In particular,

the MDGs focused on the importance of developing a strong relationship between the

private sector and domestic governments. The role of the private sector as a provider of

financing and capital in developing countries where governments had limited resources

was particularly important. Given that investment decisions made by the private sector

are motivated by considerations of benefits and risks, the existence of a partnership

between foreign companies and domestic governments allows for a clearer understanding

of the opportunity set existent within a specific country. Further, such a partnership

understands the necessity of including and supporting domestic governments within the

development agenda, a consideration that was not forgotten within the MDGs.

In 2014 the European Commission released a report advocating for a stronger role

of the private sector in achieving inclusive and sustainable growth in developing

countries.30 The Commission argued that by increasing investment and playing a more

active role in the development process the private sector could send a “powerful signal

about the important role it can play in contributing to inclusive and sustainable growth in

30
European Commission, p. 16.

28
developing countries.”31 Given the diversity of the private sector in terms of capacity,

opportunity and approach, it is able to operate at different levels and regions of the

economy and in very different country contexts.

The current Post-2015 development agenda continues with the goal-oriented

vision established by the MDGs through global partnership. The agenda relies on two

foundational pillars: (1) a commitment to human wellbeing, security and dignity as was

laid out in the Human Development Model of development, and (2) a commitment to

sustainable development.32 James Michel has argued that the, “successful implementation

of the new agenda will require that international cooperation proceed in new ways that

transcend the traditional aid-centered paradigm.”33 He identifies the growing need to “do

development differently,” and focus attention on national priorities, interests and

systems.34 The new agenda demands that we look beyond aid as the primary source of

development financing. As Michel argues, it is necessary to, “include all available

sources and types of financing, [and] expand domestic resource mobilization…while

conserving resources and increasing efficiency and effectiveness.” By recognizing the

role and actively taking advantage of the foreign private sector within the global

partnership, the Post-2015 Development Agenda is creating access to an economic pool

of resources that can drive investment and economic growth within developing countries.

31
Ibid.
32
Michel, James. P. vi
33
Ibid, P. 70.
34
Ibid.

29
2.4 Foreign Direct Investment as a Driver of Economic Growth

FDI has become one of the most important sources of international capital flows

to developing countries and is directly influencing domestic private entrepreneurship.

FDI is considered to be the largest source of capital formation in the world and is often

presented as a key element for international economic integration and development.35

The development of an emerging or frontier market is correlated with its ability to

expand stock of knowledge, accumulate capital, and make profitable investments.

Muhammad Arshad Khan, a researcher at Pakistan Institute for Development Economics,

argues that most developing countries rely primarily on FDI as a source of external

finance because FDI is able to stimulate greater economic growth relative to other

sources of capital inflows. 36 Modernization theories suggest that FDI can promote

economic growth under the principle that growth requires high levels of investment.37

Through capital accumulation, FDI is able to introduce new forms of technology into the

production function of the domestic economy.38 Growth theories emphasize the effect of

such technological transfers on encouraging employment growth and education, allowing

for skill acquisition and the development of human capital. FDI is important for filling

the gap between domestic savings and the desired level of investment in developing

countries, allowing for capital formation and sustained economic growth.

During the last decade, several developing countries have recognized that

restricting FDI inflows is an ineffective and sometimes counterproductive policy. In an

35
Zeb, Nayyra et al. Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Economic Growth of Pakistan.
36
Arshad Khan, Muhammad and Ali Khan, Shujaat, Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: The Role of International
Political Relations.
37
Zeb, Nayyra et al. Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Economic Growth of Pakistan.
38
Toulaboe, Dosse et al. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Developing Countries. Southwestern
Economic Review 36, no. 1(2013): 155 – 170. Page 158.

30
attempt to encourage FDI inflows many low-income countries have worked towards

removing trade restrictions, adopting liberal, market-oriented reforms that favor the

interests of foreign investors.39 According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development (UNCTAD), FDI inflows to developing countries as a percentage of global

FDI inflows grew from approximately 33% in 2006 to 54% in 2013. 40 However, while

reforms have increased FDI inflows to the developing world, concerns regarding negative

domestic and international externalities have not been lost. Dependency theories for

instance suggest that reliance on foreign investment by low-income economies may result

in a negative impact on growth and income distribution. Dependence on foreign capital

and means of employment may result in the underutilization of domestic resources,

effectively crowding out domestic investment.41 In order to prevent such a dynamic it is

crucial for domestic policies instituted by the host country to establish an interaction

between foreign investors and domestic stakeholders within the economy.

Ultimately however, the effects of FDI on investment and economic growth are

specific to a country. Distinct domestic political and economic circumstances mean that

empirical studies are unable to provide conclusive cross-country results regarding the true

effect of FDI in a given developing country. Effects of FDI on sustainable economic

growth are invariably tied to the capacity of the foreign private sector to collaborate with

and be supported by domestic governments. It is important to remember that private

sector involvement is only one aspect of the Post-2015 development agenda. The goal of

this paper is not to determine whether the inclusion of the private sector within the

39
Ibid, P. 157.
40
World Investment Report, 2015.
41
Arshad Khan, Muhammad and Ali Khan, Shujaat. Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: The Role of International
Political Relations. P. 2

31
development agenda is inherently beneficial or not. Rather, given international trends

regarding the growth of FDI in developing countries, this paper recognizes the

importance of studying the role of the private sector as a driver of economic growth and a

provider of development financing.

The next chapter discusses historical trends of FDI inflows within Pakistan. It

examines policies that have been implemented since the 1970’s to attract FDI, and

discusses the present day opportunity set for foreign investors interested in investing in

Pakistan. The final section of the chapter provides an overview of events that have

occurred within Pakistan since 2000 that have affected its investment climate.

32
 Chapter Three
Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries
Pakistan as an Important Case Study

Pakistan’s foreign investment regime is one of the most liberal and attractive in

South Asia. The government of Pakistan offers foreign investors 100% project ownership

in a vast number of sectors and allows the remittance of capital, profits and dividends

without any regulatory approvals.42 Yet FDI inflows to Pakistan lag behind the nation’s

regional or economic counterparts. The goal of this chapter is to discuss the evolution of

Pakistan’s policies for attracting FDI, and to examine events occurring between 2000 and

2014 that affected government effectiveness and national security levels in Pakistan, and

altered global investment trends internationally. The first section of this chapter provides

an historical overview of FDI inflows to Pakistan from the 1970’s until today. The next

section explores present day opportunities available to foreign investors interested in

investing in Pakistan. Section three provides an account of major shifts occurring

domestically and within the international economy, and discusses the ways in which

changes in government efficacy, security, and global investment trends affected national

FDI inflows. The chapter concludes with a comparison of FDI inflows between the three

sectors analyzed in this paper namely energy, telecommunications, and financial services.

42
Asian Development Bank, Private Sector Assessment: Pakistan. Page iii.

33
 3.1: Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: A Historical Analysis
(1970’s – Present)

Prior to the late 1970’s, Pakistan’s trade and investment policies vacillated

between import substitutions and export promotion. Nationalization under the Zulfiqar

Ali Bhutto regime in the early 1970’s made the government the largest player in the

economy. While foreign investments were not nationalized, an increased focus on the

public sector and excessive regulation of trade discouraged foreign investors.43

Recognizing the consequences of nationalization on foreign investment, the

government began to draft policies intended to be friendlier towards foreign investors by

the mid-1970’s. The Foreign Private Investment Act of 1976 marked the beginning of the

establishment of a regulatory framework that facilitated and protected the transactions of

foreign investors. The Act of 1976 guaranteed the remittance of profit and capital, and

introduced policies that avoided double taxation, lowering initial costs of investment for

foreign parties.44

In 1984 an industrial policy statement that gave equal weight to the public and

private sectors was announced. The policy encouraged foreign investment in the form of

joint equity participation with local areas, thereby establishing a business climate that

was more favorable for foreign investors. As Figure 2 indicates, the mid-1980’s mark the

beginning of a fairly sustained increase in FDI inflows to Pakistan until 2008. FDI

inflows grew from 0.3% of GDP in 1986 to 0.6% in 1990.

43
Arshad Khan, Muhammad. Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: The Role of International Political Relations.
Working Paper Series, University of Oxford Department of International Development. Page 9
44
Ibid, p. 10

34
 Figure 2: Net Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment as a % of GDP, 1970 – 2013
Source: World Bank

During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the Government of Pakistan initiated several

market-based reforms liberalizing the trade and investment regime by introducing various

trade and fiscal incentives to foreign investors. These provisions included increased tax

concessions, credit facilities, tariff reduction, and the easing of foreign exchange

controls.45 Remnants of restrictions on capital inflows and outflows that had been placed

during the period of nationalization continued to be lifted. Foreign investors were

allowed to hold 100% of the equity of their industrial project and remittance of dividends

and disinvestment proceeds were permissible without any prior permission of the State

Bank of Pakistan.46 The establishment of the Pakistan Board of Investment in 1990

helped generate opportunities for FDI within Pakistan and provide investment services to

interested foreign investors. These initiatives placed Pakistan on the International Finance

Corporation’s list of emerging South Asian stock markets in 1992, along with India,

Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The country was also ranked an emerging market by

45
Arshad Khan, Muhammad. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Role of Domestic Financial
Sector. Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Working Paper Series, 2007.
46
Ibid, p. 16

35
MSCI in 1997, a placement that reflected upon development within the economy,

deepening of domestic financial markets, and increased accessibility of capital markets to

international investors.47

By 1997 the Government had announced the New Investment Policy that aimed to

increase foreign investment in areas such as industrial base expansion, infrastructure,

software development, electronics, construction industries, and value-added textile items.

The push towards developing the manufacturing sector and advancing overall levels of

infrastructure within the country was central to this new policy, and allowed foreign

investors to capitalize on opportunities within sectors that had initially been closed to

them. The policy provided various tariff and tax incentives and continued to protect the

foreign investors’ rights to remit royalties, technical fees, capital, profit and dividends.

However, a weakened international economic climate caused by the 1997 Asian

Economic Crisis and a fragile democratic government meant that the introduction of the

policy was unable to produce much growth in FDI inflows towards the end of the decade.

FDI Inflows began to stabilize and grow again in Pakistan by 2000. During the

Musharraf era (1999—2008), policy makers worked to create an environment where

foreign direct investment was able to thrive. In his memoir, In the Line of Fire, Pervez

Musharraf states the four-pronged strategy his administration pursued: 1) achieving

macroeconomic stability, 2) making structural reforms to remove microeconomic

distortion, 3) improving the quality of governance, and 4) alleviating poverty. 48

Deregulation, fiscal incentives, and liberal remittance of profits and capital were core

47
Bambaci, Juliana et al. Built to Last: Two Decades of Wisdom on Emerging Markets Allocations. MSCI Applied
Research, 2012. Accessed February 2016. https://www.msci.com/resources/pdfs/built_to_last.pdf, p8.
48
Musharraf, Pervez. 2006. In the Line of Fire: A Memoir. New York: Free Press.

36
tenets of the nation’s investment policy.49 The privatization of enterprises was fully

protected which meant that the government legally could not nationalize or expropriate

any foreign enterprises. Additionally, the Pakistani government introduced measures to

reduce red tape, rationalized utility charges, and improved infrastructure. Expenditure on

health and education grew, creating a progressive economic environment that was

attractive to foreign investors. These policies diminished distortions within the market,

increased the efficiency of exchange, and reduced levels of perceived risk and uncertainty

regarding the sudden alteration of economic policies. FDI net inflows increased sharply

within the earlier half of the decade, increasing from US$ 534 million in 2003 to peaking

at US$ 5.6 billion in 2008 (Figure 3).

FDI  Inflows,  USD  
millions  

Figure 3: Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Pakistan, 2001 – 2013

Source: Pakistan Board of Investment

While the level of growth experienced within Pakistan during this time was

impressive, it is important to note that the nation’s FDI levels lagged behind the rest of

the developing world. In 2007 capital inflows to Pakistan were 4% of GDP while average

49
Atique, Zeshan, Mohsin Hasnain Ahmad, Usman Azhar, and Aliya H. Khan. 2004. “The Impact of FDI on Economic
Growth Under Foreign Trade Regimes: A Case Study of Pakistan [with Comments]”. The Pakistan Development
Review 43 (4). Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad: 707–18.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41261022.

37
capital inflows to other developing countries were 7.5% of GDP.50 It has been argued that

the reasons for this difference stem from an unstable political environment, inadequate

infrastructure, and high levels of security risk, concerns that were not as present in other

developing and emerging markets. Even though the Pakistani economy was growing

rapidly, the country was still in its early stages of development, and thus more vulnerable

to domestic and external shocks as compared to its regional counterparts. Hence, the

deterioration of government effectiveness, national security, and global investment levels

post-2008 triggered an immediate and severe reduction in FDI inflows to Pakistan.

Following calls for Musharraf’s impeachment and his subsequent departure in

2008, the Pakistani economy moved from rapid rates of growth to a state of crisis. Real

GDP growth slowed sharply and foreign exchange reserves plunged. Heightened security

concerns consumed the newly elected fractious and fragile democratic government’s

attention, causing economic crises to be deprioritized as a time when they demanded

more attention. Low investment in human capital, shortage of energy, and rising security

concerns challenged the nation’s capacity to attract foreign investors. The global financial

crash of 2008 induced further stress on the domestic economy as Pakistani exporters

struggled to sell their goods to the nation’s largest export market, the United States.

Deteriorating diplomatic relations and failure by the Pakistani government to service the

nation’s debt increased uncertainty over future returns, discouraging foreign firms to

invest in Pakistan.51 As a result, Pakistan failed to rank on MSCI’s list of emerging

markets in 2012, or Standard and Poor’s list of emerging stock markets.52

50
Zeb, Nayyra et. al. P. 33
51
Atique, Zeshan et al., p.20
52
Standard and Poor’s Emerging Markets Core Index serves as an alternative for investors seeking more balanced
country and sector weightings and less exposure to developed market economies.

38
 Today, the Pakistani government is acutely aware of the need to boost Pakistan’s

image as a competitive investment location relative to other emerging economies.53 In

2013 the Board of Investment (BOI) published a report discussing their strategy for

attracting FDI between 2013 and 2017. The report acknowledges that Pakistan is a high-

risk investment proposition. The report states that, “boosting Pakistan’s international

competitiveness on a global scale will be crucial in reaching Pakistan’s growth targets in

general and its FDI targets in particular.”54 To that end the Investment Policy of 2013,

which is outlined within the 2013-2017 BOI Strategy Report, focuses specifically on

enhancing Pakistan’s international image as an investment location.

In October 2014 the Board of Investment hosted a two-day conference for foreign

companies registered with the department to discuss this policy. The Board introduced

several additional incentives for foreign investors including 100% tax credit for five years

on new industries established by June 30th 2016, as well as credit for investment in

infrastructure updates, extensions and replacements.55 Additionally, the development of

the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a mega bilateral project that aims to

connect Pakistan’s southwestern Port of Gwadar to the northwestern region of Xinjiang,

China, has allowed foreign investment within Pakistan to increase again, especially in the

telecommunication, energy and transportation sectors. These shifts have stimulated

moderate growth in FDI inflows to the country since 2013. Positive economic growth

trends have refocused attention on opportunities existent within Pakistan, allowing for

FDI inflows to advance development efforts within the country. The next section of this

53
Board of Investment. Foreign Direct Investment Strategy 2013 – 17. Accessed March 2016.
http://boi.gov.pk/UploadedDocs/Downloads/InvestmentStrategy.pdf
54
Ibid, p.9
55
KPMG. 2015. Pakistan – Gearing Up to Attract Foreign Investment.
https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2015/02/pakistan-gearing-up-attract-foreign.html

39
chapter discusses the importance of FDI within Pakistan, and presents reasons for why

the country has latent potential to serve as an attractive host country for FDI.

3.2 Investing in Pakistan: Opportunities and Risks

FDI has served as one of the main sources of foreign capital inflows to Pakistan

since the 1960’s along with international aid, and is considered an important vehicle for

economic growth within the country.56 The Pakistani government’s desire to attract high

levels of FDI inflows has resulted in the creation of the most liberal foreign investment

frameworks in South Asia, allowing foreign investors to own up to 100% of their equity,

repatriate a 100% of profits, and receive numerous tax holidays such as a 100% tax credit

for five years on new industries or new equity investment.57

Pakistan has one of the highest consumption-to-GDP ratios in the region, driven

by a rapidly urbanizing population. With more than 180 million citizens, and the age

demographic skewed towards the youth, there is great capacity for growth within sectors

such as Telecommunications, Financial Services, Energy, Textiles and Information

Technology.58 Foreign investors can benefit from the trend of youth entrepreneurship in

Pakistan which can potentially induce a paradigm shift in the economy.59 Pakistan’s

location as a shipping hub, neighboring two BRIC economies—China and India, as well

as Iran, a fast growing economy, provides foreign investors with opportunities for

56
Arshad Khan, Muhammad. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Role of Domestic Financial
Sector. P. 3; 21
57
KPMG. Investment in Pakistan. 2013. Accessed October 2015. P.9
https://www.kpmg.com/PK/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Investment-in-Pakistan2013.pdf
58
Ibid
59
Ibid

40
regional trade. Pakistan’s strengthening relationship with China is encouraging the most

significant incline in FDI inflows to the Pakistan since the early 2000’s.

However, several factors deter foreign investors from investing in Pakistan. These

include internal concerns such as government inefficacy and security concerns, and

external considerations such as changes in global economic trends, each of which are

variables this paper employs to analyze FDI trends across sectors within Pakistan.

One of the key hindrances to Pakistan’s growth story is its low investment-to-

GDP ratio. The ratio stood at 13.5% in 2014, one of the lowest in the world.60 As a result

the government has been unable to develop infrastructure, resulting in limited provision

of facilities such as energy, water, or consistently paved roads. Additionally following the

decision to participate in the War on Terror, Pakistan has been perceived as a nation with

poor national security. These limitations along with poor government efficacy and

political instability have resulted in FDI moving away from Pakistan and towards those

developing markets that are less risky to foreign investors.

Today, Pakistan continues to be perceived as a high-risk high-return investment

proposition. The next section of this chapter provides an overview of events occurring

during the last fifteen years that drastically changed domestic conditions. Understanding

the events that contributed to deteriorating political and economic conditions within

Pakistan allows for an accurate understanding of why the nation has found it difficult to

attract and maintain sustainable levels of FDI particularly post-2008.

60
Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance. Pakistan Economic Survey. 2013-14. Accessed December 2015.
http://finance.gov.pk/survey_1314.html

41
3.3 The Last Fifteen Years: Internal and External Shocks to the
Pakistani Economy

Since 2000 Pakistan has witnessed drastic changes in the amount of inflows it has

received. This section provides an account of major internal and external events

occurring during the last fifteen years that have affected FDI inflows within the country.

2000 – 2004:

During the first half of the decade, Pakistan moved away from a stable military

regime presided by Pervez Musharraf, to one that was rapidly weakening due to growing

demands for democracy. Pakistan nominally returned to civilian rule in late November

2002 with the creation of Musharraf’s “democratic” party, the Pakistan Muslim League -

Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), although Musharraf still retained massive powers including the

ability to dismiss the elected parliament. In 2002 PML-Q formed a coalition government

with a majority of one vote, attempting to combine democracy with military rule, and

faced the strongest opposition in Pakistan’s recent history.61

At the same time, however, economic performance remained strong. The country

recorded an estimated 4.7% current account surplus in 2002.62 According to the Federal

Bureau of Reserves exports grew by more than 16% between July and December of

2002, reaching a value of USD 4.71 billion.63 By 2004 the IMF commended Pakistan,

stating that a host of structural reforms had been implemented and the debt situation had

improved.64 Further, they suggested that while external support had been beneficial the

61
Economist Intelligence Unit, Pakistan Country Reports. November 2002
62
Ibid, June 2003
63
Ibid
64
Ibid, August 2004

42
improvement primarily reflected a government-led change of policy implementation and

enforcement. 65 Government effectiveness as measured by the World Governance

Indicators improved marginally during this time. The IMF asserted their concerns about

public expenditure management and the slow pace of reform in sectors such as power

generation. These issues aggravated conditions in Pakistan post-2008 when the country

witnessed a rapid decline in political stability, coinciding with deep economic shocks and

growing security concerns that resulted in a decline in FDI inflows to the country.66

2005 – 2009:

Efforts made by policy makers to restructure laws and regulatory bodies in

Pakistan created an environment conducive to the foreign private sector’s involvement

and participation. The Pakistani government increased expenditure on healthcare and

education initiatives to promote Pakistan’s long-run economic growth potential. Both,

foreign and domestic private investment grew within this time period. Government

effectiveness increased marginally between 2005 and 2006, as measured by the World

Governance Indicators. The economy continued to expand until 2007, and Pakistan

experienced a peak in FDI inflows, resulting in the investment growth rate to reach nearly

20%.67 The government continued to focus on private sector expansion as a tool for

economic growth and development. Measures incentivizing FDI included reforms in the

banking and utility sectors, and efforts to reduce red tape.68

65
Ibid, December 2004
66
Ibid, December 2004
67
Ibid
68
Ibid, September 2007

43
 However, Pakistan’s sustainability and competitiveness as an international player

was limited due to vested national political interests, and weakening military rule that

was giving away to an even weaker democratic setup. In 2007, rising international oil

prices and domestic inflation started to threaten macroeconomic stability. Rapid

economic growth and development within Pakistan stopped abruptly by the end of 2007

and early 2008, when the country was faced with simultaneous internal and external

shocks. The global financial crash of 2008 resulted in a significant loss of FDI, as global

investment levels declined. The political system was in shambles as Pervez Musharraf

refused to relinquish power, and imposed a state of emergency. Musharraf’s suspension

of Supreme Court judges in November 2007 furthered his unpopularity, fueled calls for

his dismissal, and resulted in declining government effectiveness. The assassination of

Benazir Bhutto, returned past Prime Minister and leader of the opposition, deepened the

political crisis, and raised concerns regarding national security provision in Pakistan.

The escalation of security risks and the destabilization of the Pakistani

government, combined with a weakened international investment climate between the

end of 2007 and early 2008 had a strong, negative effect on FDI inflows. While most

South Asian countries were able to attract FDI between two to three years of the global

economic crash, inflows within Pakistan continued to decline. Predictions of investment

growth, which had been the main driver of economic growth, fell from 20% a year to

6.9% a year by the beginning of 2008. The sharp increases in political and operational

risk in recent months no longer allowed the liberalized economy to present itself as an

opportunity that was independent of the political situation within the country.69

69
Ibid, January 2008 and July 2008

44
 By November 2008 Asif Ali Zardari, husband of Benazir Bhutto and the new

leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), was elected President of the country. During

his presidency economic policy focused on short-term crisis management. Despite

reluctance to rely on the IMF, the government turned to the organization for assistance in

November 2008. By accepting IMF financing, the Pakistani government lost an extensive

degree of autonomy in designing economy policy, and was required to eliminated

subsidies in sectors like Energy. Investment growth continued to contract, curtailing

public expenditure.

By July 2009 the Pakistani army had launched a large-scale offensive against the

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the North West Frontier Province (since renamed

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [KP]), with intentions to expand to the Federally Administered

Tribal Areas (FATA).70 The War on Terror required Pakistan to increase its military

budget, and raised concerns regarding security provision in the country. 71 The

simultaneous security and economic crisis added to the concerns of a divided and weak

democratic government, and fueled growing anti-government sentiment among the

general population. Given the poor international economic climate, foreign investors

were not prepared to invest in Pakistan at a time when political stability was weak,

government effectiveness was low, and security provision was in decline. Thus, Pakistan

continued to experience a decline in FDI inflows through the end of the decade.

70
Ibid, July 2009
71
Ibid, November 2009 and December 2009

45
2010 – 2014:

By 2010, the Economist Intelligence Unit predicted a meager 1.5% annual rate of

investment growth in Pakistan. Remittances were now the main driver of economic

growth within the country. The economy continued to be constrained by a lack of

improvement in security and limited infrastructure capacities. 72 The floods of 2010,

which resulted in the death of more than 2,000 people only exacerbated the situation.

Millions more were displaced, redirecting the government’s attention to immediate

rescue, rehabilitation and crisis management efforts. Pakistan continued to remain heavily

dependent on multilateral institutions and bilateral donors for concessional loans and

emergency aid during this time.73

Relations between Pakistan’s main political parties remained volatile.

Government effectiveness as ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the World

Bank’s World Governance Indicators stayed low, and growing pressures on Zardari’s

government meant that political stability remained a dim possibility. The capture of

Osama Bin Laden in 2011 by U.S. Special Forces refocused negative attention on

Pakistan. Questions regarding the capacity and will of the Pakistani government to

combat terrorism raised security concerns and contributed to a further withdrawal of FDI.

Economic expansion continued to fall short of potential due to poor policy-

making, shortages of energy and water, ongoing security concerns, and low investment in

human capital. 74 Tighter domestic credit markets and a continued lack of foreign

financing further weakened the position of the country.

72
Ibid, November 2010
73
Ibid, August 2010
74
Ibid, April 2012

46
 Following the national elections of 2013, many speculated the possibility of an

upswing in domestic circumstances. Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) was elected Prime Minister

in June 2013.75 His priorities to curb the domestic energy crisis and control terrorism

fared well for the possibility of political stability. In 2014 FDI inflows recorded modest

growth. However, due to constant power outages, poor basic infrastructure, and weak

security conditions, Pakistan has been unable to take full advantage of international

economic stability and opportunity. It is likely that the USD 46 billion CPEC trade deal

will allow for development in power and infrastructure. China’s involvement in Pakistan

will help promote economic links between Pakistan’s Gwadar port and China’s Xinjiang

province.76 Such a partnership is likely to help boost the economy and promote foreign

investment within the country.

3.4: A Sectoral Comparison of FDI inflows to Energy,

Telecommunications and Financial Services from 2000 – 2015

FDI inflows to Pakistan grew rapidly between 2000 and 2007 (Figure 4).

Attracting USD 308 million in 2000, FDI inflows peaked at USD 5.29 billion in 2007.77

Soon thereafter inflows began to decline, dropping to USD 5.4 billion in 2008 and to US

$859 million by 2012. While open, market-oriented polices contributed to a positive

investment environment in the mid-2000s, the simultaneous occurrence of numerous

external and internal shocks such as declining government effectiveness, weakening

75
This was Nawaz Sharif’s third time in office. He had previously been Prime Minister for two incomplete terms in the
1990’s.
76
Ibid, June 2015
77
World Development Indicators. Foreign Direct Investment, net inflows (BOP, current US$). World Bank. Accessed
October 2015. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD

47
national security. and diminishing levels of global investment caused a significant

reduction in foreign investor confidence in Pakistan,

FDI  Inflows,  USD  million  

Figure 4: Differences in Inflows of FDI to Pakistan Across Sectors ,2000 - 2015

Source: Board of Investment, Author’s Calculations

Between 2000 and 2014, FDI inflows to the Energy, Telecommunications and

Financial Services Sector accounted for an average of 68% of total FDI inflows to the

country.78 Trends in FDI inflows within these three sectors as compared with national

FDI trends during this time period, however, have varied. Inflows to the Energy Sector

have remained almost entirely consistent between 2005 and 2015, only increasing slightly

between 2006 and 2008 (Figure 4). FDI inflows to the Telecommunications Sector

weakly match national FDI inflow trends between 2004 and 2009. However, the sector

has been unable to increase growth in FDI inflows since then. FDI inflows to Financial

Services are normally distributed around 2007-08, and closely match trends in national

FDI inflows. Differences in inclines and declines in FDI inflows across Energy,

78
Authors calculations of numbers from BOI data

48
Telecommunications, and Financial Services suggest that changes in political stability,

government effectiveness, security, and global investment levels have had different

effects across sectors and the economy as a whole. The next three chapters offer a

comparative sectoral analysis of FDI inflows to each of these three sectors between 2000

and 2014, and examine the ways in which government effectiveness, national security,

and global investment levels have influenced FDI inflows within each sector.

49
 Chapter Four
Power and Energy

Power cuts and energy shortages have created an inescapable bottleneck to

advancing long-term economic growth and development within Pakistan. Dr. Musadik

Mailk, special assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, maintains that the energy crisis

is a result of three major issues: the wide gap between supply and demand, the high cost

of power, and “inefficiencies” within the system, a code word for electricity theft across

the country.79 The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has estimated

that repeated breakdowns and shortfalls of power have resulted in a 2-3% reduction in the

GDP of the country. 80 Given high capital costs, it is unlikely that the Pakistani

government will be able to restructure the sector independently. Therefore, there is a need

to integrate the private energy sector as part of a broader sectoral reform framework.81

Writers such as Michael Kugelman82, Javed Akbar83, and Afia Malik84 have stressed the

79
Malik, Musadik. Pakistan’s Energy Crisis: Challenges, Principles, and Strategies. Published in Kugelman, Michael,
ed. 2015. Pakistan’s Interminable Energy Crisis: Is There Any Way Out? P. 25 Accessed December 2015.
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/ASIA_150521_Pakistan's%20Interminable%20Energy%20Crisis%20r
pt_0629.pdf
80
Government of Pakistan Ministry of Finance, Pakistan Economic Survey 2014-15. Islamabad, Pakistan, 2015. P. 243.
Accessed January 2016. http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey_1415.html
81
Fraser M., Julia. 2005. Lessons from the Independent Private Power Experience in Pakistan: The World Bank, The
Energy and Mining Sector Board. P. 12. Accessed February 2016.
http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/240338/Lessons%20from%20the%20Independent%20Private%20Power
%20Experience%20in%20Pakistan.pdf
82
Michael Kugelman is a Senior Associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars
83
Javed Akbar is the Chief Executive of Javed Akbar Associates (Private) Limited, a consulting company that
specializes in energy analysis and forecasting
84
Afia Malik is a Senior Research Economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics

50
importance of private sector involvement, particularly foreign private sector involvement,

in the restructuring and advancement of Pakistan’s energy sector. However, poor policy

implementation, an inability by the government to fulfill commitments made to private

investors, and a precarious security situation has discouraged foreign investors from

investing in Pakistan’s energy sector. According to the United States Institute of Peace,

almost all foreign companies that financed generation projects in the 1990’s had sold off

a portion their shareholdings by 2015.85

This chapter analyzes the effects of government effectiveness, security, and global

FDI inflows on inflows of FDI to the Energy Sector in Pakistan. It argues that the foreign

private sector has been deterred from investing in Pakistan’s energy sector due to weak

government efficacy and growing security risks. The first section of this chapter provides

an overview of energy production and distribution systems within Pakistan, and discusses

the role of the foreign private sector within the industry. The following sections discuss

the effect of each of the three independent variables on FDI inflows to the energy sector.

The chapter concludes with a comparative analysis of the implications each of the

variables might have on future policies and government strategy.

4.1 An Overview of the Energy Sector in Pakistan:

At the time of independence, Pakistan’s power generation capacity rested at a

meager 60 mega-watts (MW). By the mid-1960’s the nation’s generation capacity had

increased to approximately 2,500 MW.86 Rapid domestic industrialization and a growing

85
Aziz, Rashid and Munawar Baseer Ahmad. 2015. Pakistan's Power Crisis: The Way Forward. Washington, DC:
United States Institute of Peace. P. 5
86
An Overview of Electricity Sector in Pakistan. Islamabad: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Chp. 1.1

51
population demanded growth within the sector. During the 1980’s the government began

introducing reforms to attract foreign investment inflows to the energy sector. 87 These

reforms were unable to attract a significant response and demand continued to increase

well into the early 1990's, causing frequent and massive blackouts throughout the decade.

As a response to the growing gap in supply versus demand for energy, the government

created the 1994 Power Policy, which introduced a series of incentives and returns on

investment for private foreign investors interested in Pakistan’s energy sector. The most

important of these incentives was that the Pakistani government guaranteed itself as a

buyer of the power supplied by the private sector. By signing exclusive Power Purchase

Agreements with private investors—domestic or foreign—the Pakistani government and

the private investor agreed on a rate at which units of energy would be sold to the

government. The Agreements also guaranteed investors a return on equity for the power

plant. Additionally, the price at which energy was bought was dollar-indexed which

meant that the private investor was protected against fluctuations in the Pakistani rupee.88

By offering these provisions, and effectively pledging a guaranteed return on private

investment in Pakistan’s energy sector, the Pakistani government aimed reduced the risk

and uncertainty associated with investing in the energy sector for foreign investors.

A Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) was set up in 1994 to oversee

the implementation of this policy. In 1997, NEPRA was formed to oversee transparency

and regulation in the Energy sector. NEPRA’s main responsibilities were to, “issue

licenses for generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power; establish and

enforce standards to ensure quality and safety of operation and supply of electric power

87
Annual Report, 2004-05, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA)
88
Majid Munir in discussion with the author, February 2016.

52
to consumers; approve investment and power acquisition programs of the utility

companies; and determine tariffs for generation, transmission and distribution of electric

power.”89

Between 2001 and 2005, annual growth in electricity consumption was

approximately 7.5%.90 Demand for electricity grew by 3-4% annually until 2004.91 In

order to keep up with demand, high investments in the energy sector were required,

placing pressuring the Pakistani government to deliver results quickly. During this time,

Pakistan’s power sector comprised of four main power producers: 1) Water and Power

Development Authority (WAPDA), 2) Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), 3)

Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), and 4) Independent Power Producers

(IPPs).92 Of the four producers, WAPDA and PAEC were publically owned companies.

Policy changes and attempts at regulation played a pivotal role in enabling the

establishment of several private plants during the growth years in Pakistan.93 To meet

demand, the government increased its reliance on private energy producers. By 2005

there were twenty-one IPPs operating in Pakistan, a marked increase since 1994, when

there were fifteen.94 Additionally KESC, a publicly owned company, was privatized in

November 2005 when multiple Pakistani and foreign businesses purchased a 71% stake

in the company.95

89
Asian Development Bank, Private Sector Assessment: Pakistan. December 2008. P. 31.
90
Annual Report, 2004-05, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). Calculations by author.
91
Malik, Afia. 2012. Power Crisis in Pakistan: A Crisis in Governance? PIDE Monograph Series. Islamabad: Pakistan
Institute of Development Economics
92
IPPs (International Power Producers) are private entities that own facilities to generate electric power that is sold to
the Pakistani government.
93
The years between 2000 and 2005 are understood as being the growth years of the Pakistani economy.
94
Annual Report 2004-05, NEPRA; An Overview of Electricity Sector in Pakistan.
95
A full list of investors is available on K-Electric’s website: http://www.ke.com.pk/investor/company
profile/index.html
Since privatization, the Pakistani government has retained a minimum 27% in KESC—since renamed K-Electric—to
serve as, “a measure of comfort to the prospective buyer of the utility.” K-Electric is a vertically integrated private
company responsible for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power in its area, which includes the

53
 Since privatization, K-Electric’s financial and operational performance has

improved. In the first five years post-privatization, the company increased generation

capacity and fuel efficiency by 39%, and reduced transmission and distribution losses

from 36% to 28%.96 K-Electric's net losses decreased from PKR 15.5 billion in 2009, to

PKR 14.6 billion in 2010.97 By 2012, the company reported a profit of 2.6 billion rupees.

Saad Hasan, a writer at the Express Tribune, a Pakistani English daily, wrote: “The

power utility has come a long way since it was privatized in 2005. From a company beset

by rampant theft, [a] network of rickety power lines and corruption [when it was

publically owned], it has emerged as a benchmark for other electricity suppliers in

Pakistan.”98 The company has been able to incorporate additional private investment

within its structure by contracting engineering companies such as Siemens (German) and

Descon (Pakistani). These opportunities have influenced the increase in FDI inflows to

the Energy sector since the end of 2005 (Figure 4), and provide the basis for Pakistani

economists and researchers to conclude that Pakistani investment needs in the energy

sector cannot be met by the public sector alone.99

Since 2005-06, growth in FDI inflows to Pakistan’s energy sector has remained

nearly consistent, increasing marginally between 2006 and 2009, but declining again in

2010 (Figure 4). Increases in FDI inflows to the energy sector between 2000 and 2014

did not directly correspond with the introduction of policy incentives offered by the

city of Karachi, and certain areas in the province of Balochistan. K-Electric serviced approximately 80 billion Pakistani
rupees of debt with the Pakistani government in exchange for equity in the company, and arranged for public entities to
pay their outstanding dues. (Annual Report 2005-06, NEPRA. P. 5; Annual Report, 2014-15, NEPRA. P. 22, 139)
96
Akbar, Javed. Addressing the Present Energy Crisis by Avoiding Mistakes of the Past. Published in Kugelman,
Michael, ed. 2015. P. 12
97
Asian Development Bank, Private Sector Assessment: Pakistan
98
Hasan, Saad. Turnaround: The Story Behind K-Electric’s Rs12b in Profits. The Express Tribune, September 26,
2014. Accessed March 2016. http://tribune.com.pk/story/767390/turnaround-the-story-behind-k-electrics-rs12b-in-
profits/
99
Malik, Afia. 2012. Power Crisis in Pakistan: A Crisis in Governance? P. 24

54
government, which suggests that policy incentives were not the primary factors

motivating or deterring foreign investors from investing in Pakistan’s energy sector. Dr.

Ashfaque Khan argues that increased incentives were ineffective due to poor long-term

planning by the Pakistani government, weak oversight, and high sunk costs of capital,

which increased the risk of investing in the sector.100 The government’s inability to

perform on promises made in the 1994 Power Policy by providing adequate liquidity to

foreign investors created a number of fiscal, financial and transparency related issues for

foreign investors interested in investing in Pakistan's energy sector.

Issues of weak government oversight and rising security risks have presented

themselves in different capacities throughout the last fifteen years. The next three

sections of this chapter discuss the ways in which governance, security, and global

investment trends have affected FDI inflows to the energy sector between 2000 and 2014.

Government Effectiveness and Inflows of FDI to Energy:

The Pakistani government is the sole buyer of power sold by private producers

within the country. As part of the 1994 Power Plan, the government and private

producers sign Power Purchase Agreements at the time when the private investor invests

in the energy sector. The Agreement outlines the rate at which the government will buy

energy from the private producer. Given the wide gap between demand and supply of

energy in Pakistan, and the government’s inability to reduce this gap, the Energy sector is

very much a seller’s market. The government therefore buys electricity at the value
100
Dr. Khan is a Professor of Economics at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad,
Pakistan
Khan H., Ashfaque and Yun-Hwan Kim. 1999. Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: Policy Issues and Operational
Implications.: Asian Development Bank, Economics and Development Resource Center. P. 28-29. Accessed January
2016. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/28178/er066.pdf

55
provided by the power producer, which makes the per-unit cost of private energy more

expensive as compared to energy produced by publically owned companies. Additionally,

the government subsidizes electricity for its consumers—the Pakistani public, and is

therefore unable to recover costs. Consequently, the Pakistani government is unable to

provide timely compensation to power companies, which results in the creation of

“circular debt,” a problem that is substantially limiting the country’s ability to attract

long-term foreign investment in the energy sector..101

In their 2014 Investment Strategy, Arif Habib Limited stated: “Energy availability

in Pakistan has been declining over the last few years, as a result of low investment in the

sector. … Despite several measures taken by the government, prolonged and frequent

power cuts have affected production activities and kept economic growth under [a] stiff

grip from reaching its full potential.”102 Afia Malik has argued that the problem of

circular debt could have been curbed right from the onset if cost effective electricity

tariffs for consumers had been introduced early. She maintains that such a policy measure

by the government would have suppressed the exponentially rising and thus

unmanageable growth in domestic demand, and would have also been able to attract and

maintain investment levels in the future. 103 The Pakistani government’s lack of

professional and long-term management has increased levels of market and performance

risks associated with investing in the energy in Pakistan for foreign investors, and has

hence deterred foreign investors away from the country.104

101
The government’s inability to provide remuneration in time causes private producers to face a liquidity crunch,
which disables them from being able to forward payments to oil and diesel refineries. In return, oil and diesel refineries
are unable to make payments to distributors, resulting in the creation of a vicious cycle of debt creation.
102
Arif Habib Limited. 2014. Pakistan Strategy 2014: 2014 Unfolds another Chapter of a Growth Story! P. 18.
Accessed November 2015. http://investorguide360.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AHL-Research1.pdf
103
Malik, Afia. 2012. Power Crisis in Pakistan: A Crisis in Governance? P. 4
104
An Overview of Electricity Sector in Pakistan. Islamabad: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chp. 2.2.

56
 However, when studying the correlation between government effectiveness and

inflows of FDI in the Energy Sector between 2000 and 2014, a negative relationship is

observed (Figure 5). FDI inflows seem to increase when government efficacy declines.

Figure 5: Correlation between Government Efficacy and FDI Inflows

to Pakistan’s Energy Sector; Author’s calculations

One would expect that higher levels of government efficacy would correlate with

higher levels of FDI inflows to the sector. However, several reasons might contribute to

the opposite conclusion. Taimour Noorani argues that foreign investors have a greater

incentive to invest in Pakistan’s energy sector when government effectiveness is low.105

He argues that limited government efficacy creates opportunities for foreign investors to

monetize from regulatory loopholes within a system that is corrupt and lacks cohesive

checks and balances.106 Private producers inflate expenses incurred in setting up a power

plant in order to state a higher per unit cost of energy in their Power Purchase

105
Interview with Taimour Noorani (Senior Analyst for Principal Investments in Bank Al-Falah’s Merchant Banking
Group) in discussion with the author, March 2016
106
Ibid

57
Agreements. Due to limited resources, and sometimes vested interests, the government is

often unable or unwilling to measure the true cost of energy provided by private power

producers, allowing foreign investors to advantage from inefficacies within the system.

4.3 Security and Inflows of FDI to Energy

Two types of security threats, distinct in terms of location, primarily affect

Pakistan. The first threat includes attacks in the mountainous and mostly rural areas of

the country such as KP, North Waziristan, and the largely ungoverned territories of

FATA. The second threat to security comes from attacks occurring in populated city

centers. In either case, power production has historically remained unaffected since

power production plants and distribution centers generally do not tend to be located in or

near either of these sites. They are usually constructed in the outskirts of towns and cities.

The security threat therefore, did not directly affect production or distribution

patterns in the energy sector prior to 2008. As observed in Figure 6, FDI inflows to the

energy sector continued to grow until 2008, even as the security situation in Pakistan

worsened. Thus, on average, the relationship between security and FDI inflows is

positive, which suggests that lower levels of security provision correlate with higher

levels of FDI inflows to the energy sector.

58
 Figure 6: Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to Pakistan’s
Energy Sector; Author’s calculations

However, since 2009, the relationship has changed. The graph indicates that FDI

inflows to the energy sector have begun to decline as security conditions worsen in

Pakistan. It is likely that such a trend has started to emerge in recent years due to two

reasons: One, it is possible that foreign investors have wanted to exit the market since

before 2009 due to deteriorating security conditions, but were unable to do so due to the

time needed to close or sell power plant investments. Two, security limitations have

started to affect the energy sector more directly in recent years, as militants are beginning

to attack power plants within the country in an attempt to disrupt the provision of power

to the Pakistani population. In 2013, at least seven people were killed in an attack by

dozens of militants on an electricity plant located on the outskirts of Peshawar.107 In

January 2015, another attack by terrorists on power transmission lines in Balochistan

107
Pakistan Attack: Deadly Raid on Peshawar Power Plant. BBC News, April 2, 2013. Accessed March 2016.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21999352

59
resulted in nearly 80% of the country facing a power blackout.108 Deteriorating security

conditions in Pakistan have now started to affect power production and distribution

directly, adding to the foreign investor’s risk considerations. As a result, foreign investors

are likely to be deterred from investing Pakistan’s energy sector due to growing security

concerns in the coming years.

4.4 Global Investment Trends and Inflows of FDI to Energy

In their 2013 Investment Report, KPMG, a Dutch financial services firm with an

office in Pakistan wrote: “[The GoP] is providing an investment friendly environment for

the oil and gas sector to attract local and foreign investment. As a result…this sector has

emerged as one of the most attractive for investment in the country.”109

Figure 7 presents a positive relationship between global inflows of FDI and

inflows of FDI to the energy sector. As global inflows of FDI increase, there is a

corresponding increase in FDI inflows to the energy sector in Pakistan. Such a trend

likely has to do with Pakistan’s investment regime being a high-risk-high-return

investment proposition.110 Foreign investors are more willing to absorb risk when the

international economic climate is positive. Inflows of FDI to Pakistan’s energy sector

were highest between 2006 and 2008, when global inflows of FDI were high as well. In

2006, the government signed agreements worth USD 42 million with international

companies to carry out exploration activities in the oil and gas sectors. Pipeline projects

108
Baloch, Shehzad. Attack on power lines in Balochistan causes national blackout. The Express Tribune, January 25,
2015. Accessed March 2016. http://tribune.com.pk/story/827139/parts-of-punjab-sindh-balochistan-left-without-power-
after-guddu-transmission-line-trips/
109
KMPG. 2013. Investment in Pakistan. P. 28. Accessed October 2015.
http://www.kpmg.com/PK/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Investment-in-Pakistan2013.pdf
110
Majid Munir in discussion with the author, February 2016

60
were discussed and negotiated with several countries including Qatar, Turkmenistan, and

Iran.111 These projects were long-term contracts that has allowed for the maintenance of

stability in energy sector inflows even after national FDI inflows crashed.

Figure 7: Correlation between Global Investment trends and FDI

Inflows to Pakistan’s Energy Sector; Author’s calculations

In 2015, domestic and foreign private producers controlled approximately 41.5%

of total generation capacity, an increase from 30% in 2011.112 The USD 47 billion CPEC

trade deal has put energy provision at the center of the government's agenda. The energy

sector is arguably at a point where it has both, the need and the opportunity to transform.

Creating a sustainable partnership with the private sector will allow the government to

meet the growing energy demands of the country.

111
Annual Report 2005-06, NEPRA. P. 5
112
Rizvi, Jawwad. Demystifying Pakistan’s Energy Crisis. 2015. Accessed March 2016.
http://www.technologyreview.pk/demystifying-pakistans-energy-crisis/; An Overview of Electricity Sector in Pakistan.
Islamabad: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry

61
4.5 Assessing the Impact of Government Effectiveness, Security, and
Global Investment Trends on FDI Inflows to the Energy Sector

"Pakistan's problems are rooted in "shortages of governance than of pure supply

[of power]," Michael Kugelman argues. 113 Multiple factors have contributed to the

current energy crisis in Pakistan. According to the United States Institute for Peace, there

are three primary shortages affecting Pakistan’s energy sector: 1) Physical shortage:

supply has not managed to keep pace with demand; 2) Financial Shortage: below cost

tariffs and expensive subsidies have not been able to cover the cost of supply, resulting in

repeated annual deficits; 3) Governance: government owned utilities and institutions have

been unable to ensure commercial or regulatory discipline, resulting in sub-par energy

provision and service.114 Ineffective governance has created budgetary problems such as

circular debt, limiting the power sector’s capacity to expand especially. The issue was

exacerbated after 2008, when foreign investors were faced with limited liquidity options,

were unable and unwilling to take on significant investment risks.

Since 2008, growing security concerns have increased the risk associated with

investing in Pakistan’s energy sector. Limited government effectiveness and weak

security provision has increased the risk associated with investing in Pakistan, and

deterred significant growth in FDI inflows since 2008. As a result, Pakistan’s energy

sector has been unable to attract long-term private sector investment.

Pakistan’s energy sector requires large capital outlays, and is thus more affected

by a slowdown in investments.115 United States Institute for Peace concludes that the

shortfall in generation stems from a failure to achieve required investment that is

113
Kugelman, Michael. Powerless in Pakistan. Foreign Policy, June 2015. P. 2. Accessed January 2016.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/30/powerless-in-pakistan/
114
Aziz, Rashid and Munawar Baseer Ahmad. 2015. Pakistan's Power Crisis: The Way Forward. P. 2
115
Aziz, Rashid and Munawar Baseer Ahmad. 2015. Pakistan's Power Crisis: The Way Forward. P. 5

62
necessary to expand and maintain power generation, preventing the energy sector from

developing new, cheaper, and more efficient production patterns.116 Afia Malik argues

that in addition to building capital stock for power generation, investments must also

focus on increasing capacity for electricity transmission and distribution to overcome the

losses the sector has suffered.117 Unfortunately, controlling or restructuring companies

that provide energy is challenging.

At its core, FDI inflows to Pakistan’s energy sector are diluted due to inefficient

governance, expensive tariff structures, a deteriorating security situation.118 Pakistan has

the capacity to produce electricity on its own, but without streamlining the existing

system, and accounting for commitments made to private investors, the government will

be unable to maintain its strategy of promoting foreign investment as a means to finance

growth within the energy sector.

116
Aziz, Rashid and Munawar Baseer Ahmad. 2015. Pakistan's Power Crisis: The Way Forward. P. 2
117
Malik, Afia. 2012. Power Crisis in Pakistan: A Crisis in Governance? PIDE Monograph Series. Islamabad: Pakistan
Institute of Development Economics. P. 23
118
Arif Habib Limited. 2014. Pakistan Strategy 2014: 2014 Unfolds another Chapter of a Growth Story! P. 18

63
 Chapter Five
Telecommunications

The telecommunications sector plays an important role in the overall development

of the Pakistani economy by providing core communication services that reduce

119
transaction costs of doing business. The availability of telecommunications

infrastructure and services such as cellular towers, help centers and data centers is an

integral tool that economies require to develop.120

Since 2000, the telecommunications sector has been one of the fastest growing

sectors in the Pakistani economy. Between 2001 and 2015, the sector has attracted USD

7.2 billion in foreign direct investment. With a consumer base of over 121.13 million cell

phone subscribers, 2.2 million broadband subscribers, and 30 million Internet users, the

sector is ripe with opportunity for foreign investors. 121 In their Investment Strategy

Report, KMPG wrote of Pakistan as becoming the “destination of choice” for several

international information and technology companies looking to relocate their operations

offshore.122

119
Ahmad, Fahad et al. Telecommunication Sector: Its Role, Contribution to FBR Revenue, Problems and Issues.
Abstract. Directorate General of Training and Research, (IR) Lahore. Accessed January 2016.
http://www.dgtrdt.gov.pk/Research/37th_synndicate_%20rports/6.pdf
120
Mahmood Pannu, Qaisar. 2010. Factors Influencing FDI in the Pakistan Telecom Sector. Masters of Business
Administration, School of Management Blekinge Institute of Technology. P. 45. Accessed February 2016.
http://www.diva-portal.se/smash/get/diva2:830980/FULLTEXT01.pdf
121
IT & Telecom Sector Overview. Prime Minister's Office Board of Investment, accessed December,
2015, http://boi.gov.pk/Sector/SectorDetail.aspx?sid=5.
122
KMPG. 2013. Investment in Pakistan. P. 23

64
 However, FDI inflows to Pakistan’s telecommunications sector have declined

significantly since 2008. This chapter studies the variations in inflows of FDI between

2000 and 2014, analyzing the role of government efficiency, national security, and global

investment levels on FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector in Pakistan. This

chapter argues that the decline in government effectiveness and in security conditions

since 2008 has diminished the attractiveness of Pakistan’s telecommunications sector as a

viable investment destination for foreign investors. Section One of this chapter provides

an overview of Pakistan’s telecommunications sector, and discusses how ownership of

companies has shifted from the government to the sector. Sections two, three and four

discuss the influence of government efficacy, national security, and global investment

trends on inflows of FDI to the telecommunications sector. The final section of this

chapter analyses the impact that each of these variables is likely to have on the ability of

Pakistan’s telecommunications sector to attract FDI inflows in the future.

5.1 An Overview of the Telecommunications Sector in Pakistan

In 1947, the Post and Telegraph Department was all that existed of the

Telecommunications sector. In 1962, the Department was separated into two distinct

units: Pakistan Post Office Department and the Pakistan Telephone and Telegraph

Department. The separation was motivated by the availability of new and cheaper

communications technology, which incentivized the creation of an entity exclusively

dedicated to expanding the telecommunications sector. In 1991, the Pakistan Telephone

and Telegraph Department was renamed the Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation

(PTC). The PTC took over the functions and operations of its predecessor. The same

65
year, the Pakistan Telecommunications Corporation Act was signed. This Act illustrated

the government’s focus towards encouraging private sector participation in the

telecommunications sector. It served as the platform through which the Pakistani

government announced its intention to privatize the PTC. 123 By 1996 the PTC was

restructured as a public limited company named Pakistan Telecommunication Company

Limited (PTCL) listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange. The restructuring was part of the

Pakistan Telecommunication Re-Organization Act of 1996 which mandated the

formation of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Although still a

government agency, the PTA was structured as an independent regulator of the

telecommunications sector, and was responsible for creating “a fair regulatory regime to

promote investment, encourage competition, protect consumer interest and ensure high

quality Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services.” 124 The PTA

provided policy recommendations to the Pakistani government regarding improvements

and changes required within the telecommunication sector, and implemented any policies

pertaining to the telecommunications sector.

In July 2003, the PTA announced the Deregulation Policy, which further open the

telecommunications sector for local and foreign investors to provide better services at

competitive prices.125 In 2004 the PTA introduced the Mobile Cellular Policy, liberalizing

the cellular services sector in order to attract foreign investors as well.126 By March 2006,

the Pakistani government had sold 26% of PTCL’s shares and transferred management

123
Ahmad, Fahad et al. Telecommunication Sector: Its Role, Contribution to FBR Revenue, Problems and Issues. P. 8
124
Mahmood Pannu, Qaisar. 2010. Factors Influencing FDI in the Pakistan Telecom Sector. P. 46
125
Ibid. P. 63
126
Ibid. P. 72-73

66
control to Etisalat—a U.A.E. based company. The privatization of PTCL effectively

ended the Pakistani government’s monopoly over the telecommunications sector.

By 2005-06, FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector had increased to USD

1.94 billion, the highest annual inflow of FDI the sector has ever received (Figure 4).

The exponential growth in FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector shortly after the

introduction of the 2003 Deregulation Policy suggests that foreign investors were at least

partially incentivized by the investment regime established within the sector.

Besides a liberalized investment climate, the telecommunications sector also

presented extensive growth opportunities for foreign investors. Teledensity, defined as

the number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals living within an area,

grew from 6.25 in 2003 to 44.06 in 2006 (Figure 8). 127 Nearly seven million new

connections were added on average in every quarter during the fiscal year 2006-07.

Figure 8: Teledensity in Pakistan 2002 – 2014

Source: PTA, Author’s Calculations

Given the favorable investment climate that emerged in 2003 due to a liberalized

foreign investment regime and high market growth potential, the telecommunications

sector attracted several foreign investments. Between 2006 and 2007, three deals were

127
PTA figures

67
signed: First, Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian company with 88% stake in Mobilink, the

largest cellular operator of Pakistan, acquired the remaining 11% stake in Mobilink from

a local investor for USD 290 million.128 Second, Warid Telecomm, a U.A.E. based

company, finalized a deal with Singtel, which acquired a 30% stake in Warid Telecom

for USD 758 million.129 Third, CM-PAK of China Mobile injected USD 700 million in

Pakistan’s telecommunications sector, focusing primarily on expanding its network in

rural areas. This deal was part of a larger USD 2 billion investment plan for the next three

years, with all financing coming from China.130

However, by 2008-09 FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector fell sharply,

and have not been able to recover since (Figure 4). The decline in inflows of FDI to the

telecommunications sector mirrors the decline in FDI inflows to the Pakistani economy.

According to the Ministry of Finance in Pakistan, the Pakistani economy faced a series of

unexpected and severe shocks during 2008-09. Negative shock came from severe

macroeconomic crises that cause several policy-induced imbalances, reducing the amount

of foreign capital available to finance and invest in the economy.131

The sudden reversal in growth of FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector is

still surprising, especially given that teledensity grew consistently until 2013, indicating

the continued presence of strong growth opportunities (Figure 8). The fact that

telecommunications was unable to recover FDI inflows after the global crash of 2008,

suggests that growth was not exclusively limited by a decline in international investment

128
Inam, Asif. 2007. Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan's Telecommunications Sector: Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority. P. 23. Accessed January 2016. https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/finance/work-cost-tariffs/events/tariff-
seminars/Korea-07/presentations/FDI_Aasif_Inam.pdf
129
Ibid. P. 23
130
Ibid. P. 24
131
Hameed, Sadika. 2014. Opportunities in the Development of Pakistan's Private Sector: Center for Strategic and
International Studies. P. 79. Accessed October 2015.
http://csis.org/files/publication/140917_Hameed_PakistanPrivateSector_Web.pdf

68
levels. The following sections of this chapter examine the effects of government efficacy,

national security, and global investment on inflows of FDI to the telecommunications

sector between 2000 and 2014.

5.2 Government Effectiveness and Inflows of FDI to

Telecommunications

The Pakistani telecommunications sector presents itself as a unique sectoral case

study: the sector is almost entirely privatized and de-regulated, but is still monitored by

the PTA. Following the 2003 Deregulation Policy, the PTA has been responsible for

implementing and enforcing policies created by the Pakistani government. Private

investors are allowed to own a 100% of equity, offered an initial depreciation allowance

of 50% of plant, machinery and equipment cost, and charged only 0-5% percent customs

duty on imports of plant, machinery, and equipment related to the telecommunications

sector.132 Additionally, the PTA allows telecommunication companies to independently

determine pricing structures. This allows investors to price products in a way that allows

them to cover costs and compete with other companies in the sector. Unlike the complex

tariff structure existent in the Pakistani Energy sector, independent pricing generates low

political pressures and has well mapped risk and risk mitigation strategies, creating a

friendly investment climate for private foreign investors.

Effective governance and policy implementation incentivizes foreign investors to

invest in the telecommunications sector in Pakistan. Figure 9 presents a positive

relationship between government effectiveness and FDI inflows to telecommunications.

132
Harianawala, Shabbir and Owais Aziz. Pakistan Telecom Sector Overview. Haidermota BNR. Accessed February
2016. http://www.hmcobnr.com/includes/Telecom%20Sector%20Overview.pdf

69
Higher levels of government efficacy correlate with higher levels of FDI inflows. The

graph also presents the cluster of years between 2009 and 2014 in the bottom left hand

corner, which indicates that the lowest levels of FDI inflows to the telecommunications

sector were experienced when government effectiveness was also at its lowest.

Figure 9: Correlation between Governance and FDI Inflows to

Pakistan’s Telecommunication Sector; Author’s calculations

The transition to a weak democratic regime in 2007-08 resulted in the instatement

of a government that has paid little attention to encouraging foreign investors to invest in

the telecommunications sector. National elections in 2013 postponed the rollout of 3G

cellular data service options. Such delays have weakened the quality of policy

implementation and government efficacy in the telecommunications sector, and thus

increased the perceived level of risk and uncertainty associated with investing in the

telecommunications sector.133

133
3G is the third generation of mobile telecommunications technology. This is based on a set of standards used for
mobile devices and mobile telecommunications use services and networks that comply with the International Mobile
Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union

70
 Additionally, even though the telecommunications sector offers one of the most

liberalized investment policies, tax rates within the sector are some of the highest in the

world. The telecommunications sector in Pakistan is charged a corporate tax rate of

34%.134 The Pakistani government has also increased tax rates for consumers. In 2014,

cellular subscribers were paying 19.5% GST, 15% withholding tax, and up to 8% of

service charges on telecommunication services.135 Such a tax structure disproportionately

affects low-income communities that are no longer able to afford services that cellular

services provide. The inability of the telecommunications sector to provide low-income

groups—a sizeable market in Pakistan—with access to communication services reduces

growth opportunities available to the sector in Pakistan. Thus as the risks associated with

government effectiveness have increased, the incentives offered to foreign investors have

declined, thereby reducing the attractiveness of Pakistan’s telecommunications sector as a

lucrative investment decision.

5.3 Security and Inflows of FDI to Telecommunications

The first time that the provision of security and the provision of

telecommunication services were in conflict with each other was in 2004, when a bomb

disposal squad found mobile phone technology used to detonate a bomb in Karachi.136

Since then mobile phone controlled devices have often been used to detonate bombs

134
Pomerleau, Kyle. 2014. Corporate Income Tax Rates Around the World, 2014: Tax Foundation. Accessed March
2016. http://taxfoundation.org/sites/default/files/docs/FF436_0.pdf
135
GST: Goods and services tax; Baloch, Farooq. Budget 2014-15: Giving Relief to the Telecom Sector. The Express
Tribune, June 3, 2014. Accessed March 2016. http://tribune.com.pk/story/716958/budget-2013-14-giving-relief-to-the-
telecom-sector/
136
Khan, Faraz. Ban on cellular service: Police fear terrorists may use other means besides cellphones. The Express
Tribune, November 22, 2012. Accessed March 2016. http://tribune.com.pk/story/469406/ban-on-cellular-service-
police-fear-terrorists-may-use-other-means-besides-cellphones/; accessed april 1 2016

71
during processions and political rallies. Cellular phones were used again in 2010 to

detonate bombs during processions held on the 8th, 9th and 10th of Muharram.137 While

cases of shutting down cellular services were heard of as early as 2005 when cellular

service in certain areas of Balochistan was restricted due to ongoing military operations,

the government has started applying this strategy in most parts of the country, and at a

wide range of events including religious or national holidays, protests, and marches.138 A

report published by the Institute for Human Rights and Business in 2015 writes:

“Telecommunication operators often bear the responsibility of executing

government orders to shutdown communications, whether mobile
networks in particular cities or regions, Internet access, or access to
particular websites or messaging applications. The request process may be
unclear, execution is technically complex, and there is in most cases
virtually no transparency. In addition, it is still a difficult topic for
companies to discuss publicly, due to the national security element.”139

The increased frequency in cellular service shut downs has made it challenging

for telecommunication operators to provide quality service to their customers and

simultaneously cooperate with security agencies.140 Deteriorating security conditions are

affecting the work environment, and are influencing the decline in FDI inflows to the

telecommunications sector in Pakistan. As observed in Figure 10, inflows of FDI to the

telecommunications sector have dropped with a decline in security in the country.

137
Ibid.
Muharram is the first month of the Muslim Calendar. It is mostly observed by Shia’a Muslims who mourn the
martyrdom of Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad in the Battle of Karbala. Imam Hussain was
martyred on the 10th of Muharram.
138
Purdon, Lucy (ed.). Security v. Access: The Impact of Mobile Network Shutdowns. Institute for Human Rights and
Business. P. 17. Accessed April 1, 2016. https://content.bytesforall.pk/sites/default/files/2015-09-Telenor-Pakistan-
Case-Study.pdf
139
Ibid. P. 5.
140
Ibid.

72
 Figure 10: Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to
Pakistan’s Telecommunication Sector; Author’s calculations

In 2014, the National Action Plan introduced by the government to increase

security provision affected the telecommunications. The National Action Plan required

the PTA to plan, implement, and monitor the biometric re-verification of cellular SIM

cards.141 While this drive has created a reliable and necessary database, it has caused a

drop in teledensity for the first time since 2000. Teledensity dropped to 61.8% at the end

of fiscal year 2015, from 79.6% in 2014. Further, the rollout of 3G and 4G cellular data

services received less attention due to total priority being placed on the re-verification

drive. Thus far, the provision of national security has been incompatible with the interests

141
In 2014, the Pakistani government launched a campaign requiring all cellular SIM cards—microchips that store the
cellular phone’s number—to be re-registered under the owner’s name. The owner’s biometrics (fingerprints) were also
taken, re-verified, and then matched to the cellular number. This information was then tallied and synced against the
individual’s National Identity Card. While all new cellular numbers are verified through this process, older phones still
needed to be checked. Numbers that could not be matched or identified against the owner’s information were
disconnected. The motivation behind this strategy was to control deteriorating security conditions, limit the ease with
which terrorists could access a cellular phone and number, and allow the government, army and intelligence units to
trace numbers to suspects of terrorist activities.
According to the 2014 Investment Report by Arif Habib Bank, a total of 215.4 million cellular SIM cards were re-
verified under this drive, out of which 114.9 million cellular SIM cards were identified as belonging to their rightful
owners, while 98.3 million cellular SIM cards—including 26.7 million active cellular SIM cards—were blocked
because ownership was inaccurately listed, or could not be verified. (Arif Habib Limited. 2014. Pakistan Strategy
2014: 2014 Unfolds another Chapter of a Growth Story! P. 9)

73
of the telecommunications sector in Pakistan, and has increased the uncertainty

associated with investing in the sector. The consequences of providing higher levels of

security have resulted in the deterrence of FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector

in Pakistan.

5.4 Global Investment Trends and Inflows of FDI to

Telecommunications

Liberalization of the telecommunications sector in the early 2000’s contributed to

an increase in levels of FDI to the sector. Immediate increases in inflows of FDI were

observed following the implementation of the 2003 Deregulation Policy. The policy was

created at a time that global inflows of FDI were rising. Until 2007, the relationship

between global investment levels and inflows of FDI to the telecommunications sector

remained positive, illustrating that higher levels of global investment correlated with

higher levels of FDI inflows to the telecommunications sector (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to

Pakistan’s Telecommunication Sector; Author’s calculations

74
 It is possible that the telecommunications sector received higher levels of FDI

inflows between 2000 and 2007 due to rising global investment. However, in the years

between 2009 and 2014, global investment has remained high, while inflows of FDI to

telecommunications have declined. Since 2010, the telecommunications sector has been

receiving close to zero or negative inflows of FDI. Inflows of FDI to the

telecommunications sector are moving away from the country at a time when there is a

favorable international climate for attracting FDI inflows. Such a trend suggests that the

decline in government effectiveness and the growing cost of security measures has

increased the risk associated with investing in Pakistan’s telecommunications sector.

In 2013, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised a more “business friendly”

agenda.142 He has sought to refocus attention on Pakistan’s market potential through

closer cooperation with foreign businesses and countries. Such an effort might allow for

the telecommunications sector to re-attract more inflows of FDI in the upcoming years,

making the sector a competitive and attractive investment opportunity once again.

5.5 Assessing the Impact of Government Effectiveness, Security, and

Global Investment Trends on FDI Inflows to the Energy Sector

At the end of fiscal year 2014-2015, there were five major market players

operating within Pakistan’s telecommunications sector, each of which was entirely or

partially owned by a foreign investor.143 As a result growth in FDI inflows directly affects

growth in Pakistan’s telecommunications sector.

142
Purdon, Lucy (ed.). Security v. Access: The Impact of Mobile Network Shutdowns. P. 17
143
Moblink (29.2% market share), Telenor (27.5% market share), CMPak (19.3% market share), Ufone (15.5% market
share) and Warid (8.6%). (PTA Report 2014 – 15)

75
 Between 2000 and 2014, the Pakistani telecommunications sector has experienced

drastic changes in the levels of inflows of FDI. This inconsistency has partially been

caused due to weakening government efficacy, which has led to a decline in policy

enforcement, and the creation a highly exploitative tax regime. Increased government

interference in the telecommunications sector through policies such as the National

Action Plan have disrupted the capacity of companies operating within the

telecommunications sector to provide consistent service. Weakened government

effectiveness, and a decline in national security have contributed to outflows of FDI from

Pakistan’s telecommunications sector.

Today, while most urban areas are almost entirely connected to a grid, there are

several rural areas that remain untouched. In order to access capital and technology

necessary to develop a strong telecommunications market in rural areas, it is important

for the government to develop partnerships with foreign companies in order to boost FDI

inflows to the telecom sector. In doing so, the government also opens up the possibilities

of developing rural areas through telecommunications; for instance, through the

expansion of branchless mobile banking services such as Easy Paisa which allow for

families in rural areas to access capital far more easily within their own communities.

The telecommunications sector has been able to benefit significantly from foreign

direct investment, be that through access to capital, development of human capital, and

overall economic growth and development. It is a sector that holds tremendous

opportunity, and continuing to develop that opportunity will not only be instrumental for

the growth of the sector, but also for the growth of the Pakistani economy at large.

76
 Chapter Six
Financial Services

In an essay published in 2005 Dr. Ishrat Husain, former governor of the SBP

wrote: “No economy can grow and improve the living standards of its population in the

absence of a well functioning and efficient financial sector.”144 He argued that economic

development Pakistan is inter-related with the development of its financial services

sector. It is argued that a well-developed financial services sector is a pre-condition for

attracting FDI. 145 A strong financial system provides a more conducive investment

climate in two ways: First it mobilizes savings, which increases the amount of resources

available to finance investments. Second it monitors and facilitates investment projects,

lowering acquisition costs and increasing the efficiency of on-going projects.146 The

strength of a country’s financial services sector is positively correlated with investor

confidence regarding the capacity of investments to generate competitive rates of return.

The advancement of the financial services sector is crucial to the overall

development of the Pakistani economy and its capacity to attract long-term and

sustainable sources of FDI. Stability within the financial sector reduces the risk involved

144
Husain, Ishrat. Banking Sector Reforms in Pakistan. Blue Chip – The Business People’s Magazine. January 2005.
Accessed April 1, 2016. http://www.bis.org/review/r050203e.pdf
145
Arshad Khan, Muhammad. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Role of the Domestic Financial
Sector. PIDE Working Papers. Islamabad: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. P. 24. Accessed November
2016. http://130.56.61.71/sites/default/files/documents/PIDE_Khan_2007_05.pdf
146
Ibid. P. 14

77
in financial transactions, lowers the cost of financial intermediation, and optimizes the

allocation of resources available in the economy.147 Additionally the development of

Pakistan’s financial system determines the ease with which firms are able to borrow and

access capital from financial institutions.148

Since the privatization of major domestic banks in Pakistan during the 1990’s, the

financial services sector has expanded in size and become more competitive.149 Relatively

improved management as compared to the 1970’s has increased profitability and reduced

the number of non-performing loans.150 Yet opportunities within the field remain largely

unexploited. In 2014 only 13% of Pakistan’s adult population had individual or shared

accounts at formal financial institutions.151 The Pakistani population’s limited access to

financial services is an indicator of the lack of development in financial services and the

availability of growth opportunities for foreign investors.

This chapter argues that weak government effectiveness and poor security

conditions have contributed to limited development of the financial services sector in

Pakistan. The first section provides an overview of the financial services sector in

Pakistan. The next three sections discuss the effects of government efficacy, security and

global inflows of FDI on inflows of financial services in Pakistan respectively. The final

section of this chapter discusses the role that the Pakistani government can play in the

future in order to improve and encourage FDI inflows to the financial services sector in

Pakistan.
147
State Bank of Pakistan. 2005. Pakistan Financial Sector Assessment: Chapter 8 (Financial Sector Development). P.
145. Accessed February 2016. http://www.sbp.org.pk/publications/FSA/2005/
148
Arshad Khan, Muhammad. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Role of the Domestic Financial
Sector. P. 30  
149
Banks had been nationalized in the 1970’s
150
State Bank of Pakistan. 2009. Pakistan 10 Year Strategy Paper for Banking Sector Reforms. P. 3. Accessed March
2016. http://www.sbp.org.pk/bsd/10YearStrategyPaper.pdf
151
World Bank. Financial Inclusion Data/Global Findex. Accessed April 2016.
http://datatopics.worldbank.org/financialinclusion/country/pakistan

78
6.1 An Overview of the Financial Services Sector in Pakistan

Prior to the early 1970’s the financial sector in Pakistan comprised of a mixture of

public and private banks. In the early 1970’s Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of

Pakistan, pursued an aggressive nationalization policy. Private domestic banks were

nationalized and the role of public sector development finance institutions was

expanded.152 Government-owned financial institutions dominated the financial services

sector in Pakistan.153 However, by the end of the 1980’s it became apparent that the

socio-economic development objectives had not been achieved by nationalization

policies. Assessing the financial sector that existed towards the end of the 1980s, the

State Bank of Pakistan concluded:

“The pre-dominance of [the] public sector in banking and non-bank

financial institutions, coupled with the instruments of direct monetary
control, were becoming increasingly responsible for financial inefficiency,
crowding out of the private sector, deteriorating the quality of assets and
rising vulnerability of financial institutions.”154

By the early 1990’s a number of amendments were made to the State Bank of

Pakistan Act of 1956 and the Banks (Nationalization) Act of 1974.155 The objective was

to encourage privatization of Non-Commercial Banks, enhance competition in financial

services by allowing the private sector to establish new banks, increase autonomy of the

SBP in formulating and implementing monetary policy, and consolidate the role of the

SBP as a regulator of banks and non-bank financial institutions.156 In 1991 the private

152
State Bank of Pakistan. 2000. Financial Sector Assessment 1990-2000: Executive Summary. P. 1. Accessed March
2016. http://www.sbp.org.pk/publications/fsa/
153
Ahmad, Usman, Shujaat Farooq, and Hafiz Hanzla Jalil. 2009. Efficiency Dynamics and Financial Reforms: Case
Study of Pakistani Banks. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics (25): 173-181. P. 173.
154
State Bank of Pakistan. 2000. Financial Sector Assessment 1990-2000: Executive Summary
155
State Bank of Pakistan. 2000. Financial Sector Assessment 1990-2000: Chapter 2 (Financial Sector Reforms During
1990s). P. 3.
156
Ibid.

79
ownership of banks was permitted. The government liberalized investment policies in

order to attract foreign and domestic private sector investors towards Pakistan’s financial

services sector. Ten new private banks were authorized to operate in 1991. Market share

of private domestic and foreign banks increased from 7% in 1990 to 44% in 2000.157

By 2000, Pakistan’s investment policy provided complete freedom of investment

to foreign investors investing in the financial services sector. The State Bank of Pakistan

(SBP) only required foreign investors to register all FDI inflows with the bank.

Otherwise, foreign investors were free to repatriate profits and dividends, and dis-invest

from the country at any point without prior approval from the SBP.158

In 2014 the financial services sector in Pakistan consisted of thirty-eight

Commercial Banks, ten Microfinance Banks, and eight Development Finance

Institutions. Domestic private banks held approximately 78% of total assets of the

banking system, while public sector and foreign banks held a 20% and 2% share in total

assets respectively.159 FDI inflows to the financial services sector have closely matched

national FDI inflow trends. Inflows remain minimal until 2005-06, after which they rise

sharply for the next two years (Figure 4). Inflows of FDI to the financial services sector

surpass those going to the telecommunications sector in 2007-08. However, the financial

services sector was unable to revitalize inflows of FDI after 2008. The next three sections

of this chapter assess the ways in which government effectiveness, security, and global

investment levels have affected FDI inflows to the financial services sector. In doing so,

157
Burki, Abid A. and Niazi, G.S.K. Impact of Financial Reforms on Efficiency of State-Owned, Private and Foreign
Banks in Pakistan. Center for Management and Economic Research Working Paper Series. Lahore: Lahore University
of Management Sciences. P. 3. Accessed February 2016.
http://130.56.61.71/sites/default/files/documents/LUMS_Burki_2006.pdf
158
Financial Services Sector Overview. Prime Minister's Office Board of Investment. Accessed December, 2015,
http://boi.gov.pk/Sector/SectorDetail.aspx?sid=9 BOI financial services sector
159
Ibid

80
this section studies the causes behind weak inflows to the financial services sector pre-

2006 and post-2008.

6.2 Government Effectiveness and Inflows of FDI to Financial Services

Until the end of the 1980’s, public sector financial institutions held the bulk of

assets, deposits, and investments of Pakistan’s financial sector. 160 High government

borrowing, bank-by-bank credit ceilings, interest rate controls, and subsidized credit

characterized Pakistan’s financial system.161 The system required excessive government

monitoring, management and supervision, making it very ineffective. The financial

structure was not conducive for meeting the growing financial needs of the economy.

Thus, the government implemented broad-based reforms in order to liberalize the

financial services sector in the 1990’s. Private banks were allowed to operate and

compete with publicly owned commercial banks. These reforms were focused towards

attracting FDI into the economy. 162 By the end of 1991, the International Finance

Corporation ranked Pakistan as one of the leading emerging markets in the world.163

The Musharraf government continued to liberalize Pakistan’s financial services

sector. The Administration chose to not keep banks under government ownership and

control, and decided to privatize and consolidate them instead. The government injected

30.7 billion rupees into the financial services sector to offset the losses incurred by

160
State Bank of Pakistan. 2000. Financial Sector Assessment 1990-2000: Chapter 1 (Pre-Reform Structure in 1990)
161
Ibid.
162
Ejaz Ali Khan, Rana and Qazi Muhammad Adnan Hye. 2014. Foreign Direct Investment and Liberalization Policies
in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis. Cogent Economics and Finance (2): 1-12. Accessed February 2016.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23322039.2014.944667
Foreign direct investment and liberalization policies in Pakistan: An empirical analysisp. 9
163
State Bank of Pakistan. 2000. Financial Sector Assessment 1990-2000: Chapter 1 (Pre-Reform Structure in 1990). P.
7-8

81
nationalized commercial banks and to recapitalize them.164 Such an initiative helped to

increase trust in government effectiveness and boost investor confidence in the financial

services sector. Additionally, during the Musharraf government, professional bankers

were appointed as Chief Executives, while experienced and reputable businessmen were

invited to join the Board of Directors. Shaukat Aziz, Minister of Finance from October

1999 till November 2007, was appointed as Prime Minister as well in 2004. According to

Majid Munir, Mr. Aziz was “the right man doing the right job.” 165 A professional

economist and financer, Mr. Aziz understood the nuances of the Pakistani economy. His

efforts to maintain cordial and friendly relationships with major trading and investor

countries allowed for Pakistan to be seen in a positive light within the international

investment community. By establishing a balance between freedom and oversight in the

financial services sector, the government created a positive investment climate attractive

to foreign investors.

The system quickly unraveled after 2008, when Asif Zardari was elected president

of Pakistan. At this time the weakened global economic climate demanded an effective

government in Pakistan. The fragile democratic government’s inability to provide

effective governance and direction at a time of economic despair resulted in the departure

of several foreign banks form Pakistan. HSBC, ABN-AMRO, and the Royal Bank of

Scotland all closed up operations between 2008 and 2013.166 Foreign banks that stayed

reduced operations: The American owned Citibank downsized from fifteen branches in

164
Husain, Ishrat. Banking Sector Reforms in Pakistan  
165
Majid Munir in discussion with the author, February 2016
166
HSBC sells Pakistan arm. The Telegraph. September 10, 2012. Accessed April 2016.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9533856/HSBC-sells-Pakistan-arm.html; RBS to
sell off its Pakistan bank. BBC News. Accessed April 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/10133868

82
Pakistan, to three branches only, between 2008 and 2010.167 Credit Suisse, a Swiss bank

closed operations in Pakistan after 2008, even though they still had an active operating

license.168

Ineffective governance under the Zardari presidency also contributed to the

expansion of Pakistan’s informal economy. The difficulty of accurately accounting for

jobs and income generated through the informal economy resulted in a lot of economic

activity being hidden from the analysis regarding Pakistan’s market potential. The

inability of the Pakistani government to transfer operations of the informal economy into

the formal economy resulted in an under-representation of domestic economic

performance. Weak government effectiveness thus led to the underweighting of

economic opportunity and the overweighting of investment risks by foreign investors.

This perception deterred FDI inflows to the financial services sector in Pakistan.169

Figure 12: Correlation between Government Effectiveness of FDI and

FDI Inflows to Pakistan’s Financial Services Sector; Author’s
calculations
167
Majid Munir in discussion with the author, February 2016
168
Ibid.
169
The informal economy is the diversified set of economic activities, enterprises, jobs, and workers that are not
regulated or protected by the state. The concept originally applied to self-employment in small, unregistered
enterprises. It has been expanded to include wage employment in unprotected jobs.

83
 Between 2000 and 2014, financial services in Pakistan has benefitted from higher

levels of government effectiveness. A more effective government is likely to attract

higher inflows of FDI to the financial services sector. This intuition aligns with the

relationship observed in Figure 12: higher levels of FDI to the financial services sector in

Pakistan correlate with better government effectiveness.

There are two main clusters of years in the bottom half of Figure 10. The one on

the right includes years from 2002 till 2005, while the cluster on the left includes years

from 2008-2014. Both clusters have similar levels of inflows of FDI to the financial

services sector. However, governance is far more effective between 2000 and 2005, as

compared to 2008 till 2014. This discrepancy suggests that while government efficacy is

important to attracting FDI to the financial services sector in Pakistan, it is not

exclusively contributing to inclines and declines of FDI inflows to the sector either.

6.3 Security and Inflows of FDI to Financial Services

Karachi is the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan. It is also a city that has

been experiencing high levels of security crises such as terrorist attacks and grave

political instability. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007 was carried

out on Shahre-Faisal, the financial vein of the city. The concentration of financial

services in a highly insecure city has deterred foreign investors from investing in

Pakistan.170 According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the economic loss due to

incidents of terrorism is USD 106.98 billion. Annual economic losses started to increase

steadily in 2007, and peaked in 2011.

170
Pratima Singh (Senior Analyst at Frontier Strategy Group) in discussion with the author, January 2016

84
 Limited security provision has most directly started to affect small and medium

size enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. The poor security situation has resulted in the

repeated closure of small businesses due to “unexpected holidays” that are announced by

the government due to bomb blasts, strikes organized by political parties, and riots. The

inability of small businesses to generate adequate revenue directly affects their capacity

to service debt. 171 Given that SMEs constitute nearly 90% of all enterprises in Pakistan,

their inability to perform due to security concerns significantly affects economic growth

prospects in Pakistan.172 These concerns are factored into the analysis of foreign financial

institutions that would much rather invest in a lower risk investment opportunity.

Figure 13: Correlation between Security and FDI Inflows to

Pakistan’s Financial Services Sector; Author’s calculations

However, the data on the relationship between security and FDI inflows to the

financials sector is fairly ambiguous (Figure 13). A weak positive relationship between

171
Alam, Kazim. PMN Survey: Poor security dampens microfinance industry. January 11, 2015. Accessed April 2016.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/820207/pmn-survey-poor-security-dampens-microfinance-industry/
172
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority. State of SMEs in Pakistan. Accessed April 2016.
http://www.smeda.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7:state-of-smes-in-pakistan&catid=15

85
security and inflows of FDI to the financial services sector exists, which indicates that

FDI to the financial services sector in Pakistan has been low when security provision has

been weak within the country. However, the correlation has become more significant

since 2009. The cluster of years in the bottom right of Figure 13 indicates that lower

levels of security provision have strongly correlated with low levels of FDI in the

financial services sector between 2009 and 2014. The trend suggests that security risks

have likely become more of a concern for foreign investors since 2008, and have deterred

FDI inflows to the financial services sector.

6.4 Global Investment Trends and Inflows of FDI to Financial Services

Foreign investors are mainly attracted by strong economic fundamentals in host

economies.173 These include market size, level of real income and possibilities for the

expansion of business activities. However, structural weaknesses in Pakistan’s economy,

such as power shortages that lead to an underutilization of industrial capacity, rising costs

of production, circular debt, and trends in the decline in FDI, reinforce the perception that

Pakistan is not a viable place for FDI.174

In many ways, the financial services sector serves as a mediator and facilitator of

FDI inflows being injected into the rest of the economy. Trends in the national economy

serve as a magnified mirror for trends observed in the financial services sector. Higher

levels of FDI inflows to Pakistan indicate correspondingly high levels of FDI inflows to

the financial services sector. As a result, factors limiting inflows of FDI to the national

173
Ejaz Ali Khan, Rana and Qazi Muhammad Adnan Hye. 2014. Foreign Direct Investment and Liberalization Policies
in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis. P. 4.
174
Taimour Noorani in discussion with author, March 2016

86
 economy, such as poor government efficacy and weak security provision will invariably

affect and constrain the performance of the financial services sector.

Figure 14a: Correlation between Global Inflows of FDI Figure 14b: Correlation between Global Inflows of FDI
and FDI Inflows to Pakistan; Author’s calculations and FDI Inflows to Pakistan’s Financial Services Sector;
Author’s calculations

The relationship is observed in Figure 14a and 14b. The relationship between

global inflows of FDI to Pakistan, and global inflows of FDI to Pakistan’s financial

services sector is almost entirely the same. Thus, in order to understand the factors

limiting inflows of FDI to the financial services sector in periods of economic growth, it

is necessary to understand the factors restricting inflows of FDI to the Pakistani economy

at large. This thesis has argued that weakening government efficacy and declining

security provision has increased the risk associated with investing in Pakistan. Poor

governance and security is therefore going to deter foreign investors away from

Pakistan’s financial services sector as well.

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6.5 Assessing the Impact of Government Effectiveness, Security, and
Global Investment Trends on FDI Inflows to the Energy Sector

Financial markets affect both the financing of investment and day-to-day business

activities.175 Well-developed financial markets encourage entrepreneurial activities and

output, encouraging a positive feedback effect on FDI inflows to the financial services

sector, and then to other sectors in the country.

Since 2008, perceived levels uncertainty associated with investing in Pakistan

have increased. The simultaneous weakening of governance in Pakistan, decline in

domestic security, and crash of the international financial system contributed to the sharp

decline in inflows of FDI to Pakistan, and thus, to Pakistan’s financial services sector.

Continued government inefficacy and security deterioration has resulted in Pakistan’s

inability to gain fully from growth in global investment since 2009.

If the Pakistani government is to boost national FDI inflows, it must work towards

strengthening the nation’s financial services sector in order to boost Pakistan’s image as a

viable destination for foreign investors. There is a need for effective leadership in the

State Bank of Pakistan that can increase the ease with which foreign investors can invest

in Pakistan. The government must also focus on expanding the role of the formal

economy, and increase security provisions, particularly in Karachi. If they are to increase

FDI inflows to Pakistan, the Pakistani government must reduce risk and uncertainty

perceptions regarding the investment climate in Pakistan. Working towards this goal by

strengthening the country’s financial services sector allows for the country to

sustainability achieve this goal.

175
Arshad Khan, Muhammad. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Role of the Domestic Financial
Sector.

88
 Chapter Seven
Conclusion

Foreign Direct Investment has become an integral part of the effort to create an

open international economic system, and is considered a key provider of capital and

advanced technology in developing countries. Maintaining a consistent partnership with

the foreign private sector, allows developing economies to stimulate economic growth

and development independent of solely relying on foreign assistance.

Since the 1990’s, several developing countries have liberalized their economies in

order to incentivize foreign investors, and have succeeded in attracting substantial

amounts of FDI.176 The Pakistani experience, however, has been different. In spite of

offering one of the most liberal foreign investment regimes in Asia, Pakistan has been

unable to attract or maintain substantial inflows of FDI since 2008. Motivated by this

puzzle, this thesis examined and assessed the internal and external factors affecting the

inclines and declines in FDI inflows to Pakistan between 2000 and 2014. Undertaking a

comparative sectoral analysis, this study compared the effects of government

effectiveness, national security, and global investment trends on FDI inflows to three

sectors in Pakistan: Energy, Telecommunications and Financial Services. This study has

argued that declining government effectiveness and poor national security provision has

contributed to an increase in perceived levels of risk and uncertainty associated with

176
Khan H., Ashfaque and Yun-Hwan Kim. 1999. Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: Policy Issues and
Operational Implications, p. 33

89
investing in Pakistan. This thesis has demonstrated that Pakistan’s capacity to attract

desirable levels of FDI inflows was diminished after 2008. Foreign investors were more

unwilling to pursue high-risk, high-return investment opportunities such as those offered

in Pakistan during a global financial crisis.

This study began by providing a brief overview of international development

models that have existed since the 1950’s. By examining the evolving role of government

and the private sector in international development efforts, this thesis discussed the

growing importance of finding a sustainable partnership between these two actors in the

post-2015 development agenda. Having established the need for cooperation between the

public and private sector, this thesis discussed the particular role of FDI as a provider of

development finance and a driver of economic growth and development. The study then

introduced Pakistan as an important case study, and offered an overview of the country’s

relationship with FDI since the 1970’s. The historical analysis reviewed the Pakistani

government’s stance regarding private sector involvement in the domestic economy, and

discussed the ways in which economic policies have evolved from widespread

nationalization towards liberalization and privatization. This study argued that the active

effort by the Pakistani government to encourage FDI inflows in the 1990’s was indicative

of the nation’s realization of FDI’s role as a driver of economic growth and development.

Having established the reasons behind the Pakistani government’s pursuit of economic

liberalization, the study examined the factors affecting limited inflows of FDI to the

country since 2008. By analyzing the trends in FDI inflows to the Energy,

Telecommunications, and Financial Services sectors between 2000 and 2014, this study

discussed the ways in which government efficacy, national security, and global inflows of

90
FDI promoted or limited the provision of an environment conducive to foreign investors

in Pakistan. Each of the sectors had different relationships with the three independent

variables, which indicated that the extent to which FDI inflows were affected by

government efficacy, security, and global investment was unique to each sector.

This research has established that the liberalization of Pakistan’s FDI regime has

not served as an adequate or sufficient strategy for attracting higher inflows of FDI in the

country. Between 2000 and 2014, FDI inflows to Pakistan were extremely variable,

resulting in unbalanced economic growth and development. 177 If the Pakistani

government is to pursue economic development through foreign private sector

involvement, it will need to offer more consistent policies to foreign investors, and focus

on the long-term implications of policy creation and implementation.178 In addition to

offering attractive policies, the Pakistani government must also focus on altering

perceptions that foreign investors hold regarding the risk associated with investing in

Pakistan. The government should identify methods of improving Pakistan’s image as a

viable and opportune host country by providing more effective policy enforcement

mechanisms, offering infrastructure facilities and ensuring higher levels of national

security.179

The Pakistani government must also work towards revising, introducing and

implementing policies particular to each sector. In the case of the Energy sector in

Pakistan, the government must revisit the tariff and subsidy framework, and restructure

current pricing strategies in order to reduce the costs associated with private power

177
Interview with Shaista Khilji (Professor of Human and Organizational Learning at the George Washington
University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development) in discussion with the author, March 2016
178
Ibid; Majid Munir in discussion with the author, February 2016
179
Khan H., Ashfaque and Yun-Hwan Kim. 1999. Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: Policy Issues and Operational
Implications

91
production in the country. There is also a need to improve power generation and

distribution facilities in the country. Within the telecommunications sector, the

government must identify ways to partner with private companies regarding issues

pertaining to national security provision, and reexamine the tax structure currently

imposed on consumers of telecommunication services. Within Financial Services, the

government should pursue strategies that improve Pakistan’s image as a viable

investment destination, thus incentivizing foreign banks to continue operations within the

country. Within each of the sectors, the Pakistani government must consistently work

towards developing long-term partnerships with foreign investors that align with the

vision of the Post-2015 Development agenda, and further economic growth and

development opportunities within the country.

It can be argued that the Pakistani government has started to move in this

direction. The Board of Investment’s Foreign Direct Investment Strategy 2013-2017

recognizes the limitations and risks associated with investing in Pakistan. The Report

primarily focuses on marketing strategies that will improve Pakistan’s image as a

destination country for FDI. Additionally, the signing of the USD 46 billion CPEC trade

deal between China and Pakistan will increase infrastructure facilities available in the

country, particularly in energy, telecommunications and transportation. The trade deal is

representative of the establishment of a long-term partnership that will further

technological capacity, reduce the gap between investment and savings, and contribute to

long-term economic advancement in Pakistan.

This research serves as an important first step in understanding the factors that

have affected FDI inflows to Pakistan, and across sectors within the country. This paper

92
has demonstrated that ineffective governance and declining national security contribute to

a reduction in inflows of FDI to Pakistan. In coming years, the Pakistani government’s

capacity in encouraging and maintain FDI growth will be crucial to the development of

the domestic economy. The government will need to closely consider the types of FDI

inflows being drawn to the country, and carefully assess how inflows affect domestic

communities. 180 The pursuit of socio-economic advancement in Pakistan must be a

collaborative effort between the public and private sectors. The role of the Pakistani

government in developing, maintaining and facilitating this collaboration is going to

continue to be crucial.

180
Shaista Khilji in discussion with the author, March 2016

93
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